Busted
by maryl
Summary: My first CB high school fic! It's AU, but similar to the GG world. I like humour but there may be some angst thrown in later. Chuck and Blair, of course. Blair's got a secret that she may not want to keep after all.
1. Chapter 1

Hello! I realized something recently. I have never written a CB high school fic. Shocking, I know. I've done a few flashbacks but never a whole story… that may be because, in my own experience, I found life got more interesting after High School. Anyhoo, I thought I'd give a High School story a try. Feel free to let me know what you think. I should tell you its AU. I'm going to try to keep everyone in character, but they'll be different situations. This first chapter should set up the plot, but once again let me know if it's confusing or you have questions. Here we go…

Blair lay on the lounger and flipped through her fashion magazine. The gauzy awning that shielded them from the direct force of the sun but still allowed for the warming of her pale skin. She shifted a few times, but knew everything was still in place, because even though she was poolside in the South of France she was clothed in a one-piece suit. Beautiful and stunning, but revealing only which she wished to reveal. Her best friend however wore what amounted to three napkins and a couple of pieces of string. One lounger over, Serena took note of Blair and her current frustration being taken out on the innocent magazine. Serena turned a page in her own while making a mental note to buy another copy of September's Vogue. They were coming to the end of what, for the most part, had been an amazing summer. So good that Serena was almost glad Blair's boyfriend of four years had suggested they see other people for the few months they were going to be on different continents. While Nate had stayed in the States to summer in the Hamptons as per usual, she and Blair had flown off to Europe. At first Serena had been heartbroken for her friend, because everybody knew that when you got fed the, "Maybe we should see other people for a while" that really meant you were getting dumped, but Serena had been wrong. Blair had been crushed for the weeks before they left and moped for a few days at her father's villa, but then the Blair that couldn't stand to be out of the action came out to play, and play she did. Blair and Serena had left her father's place and toured across swaths of the old world. They'd lain on beaches and shopped during the day, then partied and danced on tables during the nights.

They both knew what was going on with her, because while Blair liked to have a good time, this level was not usually her scene, but it was clear that she was giving herself this time to enjoy the summer and have fun, because she knew the Dumping was coming. Blair was sure that come the fall and their return to New York and their senior year, Nate Archibald was going to break up with her.

Now with their flight home only a few days away, Blair's agitation was making an appearance. It also didn't help that Nate had started to call and text her regularly. She ignored them all. If he was going to end it he could man up and do it to her face when she got home. With a huff she tossed the magazine to the ground and threw herself dramatically back against her seat.

"Vent, B." Serena advised as she curled on her side to look at her friend. "If you don't let it out soon that vein in your neck is going to explode and you know how hard it will be to get blood out of you swim suit… and I could wear that after you're dead."

"You're too tall and it would look indecent. Are you planning on turning into a slut if I die? How very suburban of you, S."

Blair leaned over and pinched her friend, but Serena just laughed and got back to her urging. "Do it."

Blair took a deep breath and a scowl spread over her face. "I can't believe him! 'See other people?'" She mocked. "More like screw other girls!"

"You don't know that." Serena pointed out. Nate and Blair had had their problems over the years, but they'd always been the Upper East Side's golden couple, and Nate had always been nothing but loyal to Blair.

"I do!" Blair declared adamantly. "We've only ever been with each other, and you know he's been looking for an excuse to branch out for months!"

"He loves you."

"My eye." Blair scoffed.

"You love him."

"I hate him." Blair declared.

"Blair…" Serena smiled indulgently.

"And you know what the worst part is?"

"I have to listen to this?" Serena suggestively teased with her answer.

Blair ignored her. "The worst part is that I've been SO good! I haven't let another boy near my goods all summer!"

Serena raise a brow at her because she knew they both remembered the Australians.

"That was just flirting!" Blair defined sharply. "I didn't come home at 9am speaking with a slight accent and a new found love of Hugh Jackman."

"Good times." Serena smiled at the memory of that night.

Blair rolled her eyes. "As I was saying… I've practically been a nun and Nate is probably sexing up half of the sun burnt Upper East Side!"

"So?"

"So—" Blair was about to launch into a diatribe of the injustice of her chasteness, and its causing being that she was a lady, and on top of that had yet to meet anyone half as close to as perfect as Nate… when she saw him.

He lay in a lounger in a cabana across the pool from them. Blair's shaded eyes took in every inch of him and she resisted the urge to lower her glasses to get the full, un-tinted view. He wore a pair of swim trunks that declared him American, but in a shade of purple that made Blair unsure. His face was beautiful, he had the most perfect jaw and nose that Blair had ever seen and she could picture herself tracing it with the tip of one of her fingers. She wished she could take off his shades so she could see his eyes underneath. The sensuality of his lips had her licking her own, and her eyes began to shift downward. His body was far from athletic, but it was well shaped and cut. It also didn't hurt that it glistened slightly with sun lotion, and Blair wondered who had been the lucky soul to apply it. While she would peg him to be about her age, he had more chest hair than she'd ever seen on any boy at school. Blair felt almost mesmerized by it. She found herself wondering what it would feel like to run her fingers through it or how it would feel when she rubbed her cheek against it.

With all the images and impressions flooding her, her mind came to one total conclusion. He was the sexiest guy she'd ever seen in her life. As she looked at him she suddenly got the distinct impression… that he was looking at her too. Her mouth went dry as other parts of her did the exact opposite.

"Blair!" Serena said sharply and in a way that told Blair she'd been trying to get her attention for a while. Serena's eyes followed her friend's gaze and a grin spread across her lips. "He's hot."

Blair sat up quickly as her fight or flight kicked in. She had never had even close to this strong of a reaction to a boy before. She knew in her gut that this was a boy who could tilt her world onto its axis, and it scared the hell out of her.

"Let's get out of here." She said, already gathering her things with quick hands. She was half way down the pool deck before Serena had even put on her flip-flops.

Across the pool a pair of eyes were locked on her, as they had been since he'd first seen her when he exited the hotel, and he watched her go.

Later that night Blair and Serena stood in a loud, crowded and raging club. Serena tossed a shot back and leaned against the bar to order another, while Blair sipped her martini and assessed the club goers with an eagle eye. She dismissed the randoms, but had to admit there seemed to be a high class of patrons then is some of their other adventures. It would just make it easier for Blair to find Serena in the morning. She was an expert at tracking her down in New York, but she was getting plenty of practice in Europe. Did they have certification for being a professional Morning After Hunter?

Blair was just completing her scan when she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. She slowly turned her head so it rested on her shoulder and scanned with her eyes and they drifted up to the VIP balcony. They were immediately met with the boy watching her. He leaned against the railing, where he had clearly been doing something similar to herself, but had stopped when he saw her. Locked on her. There were hundreds of people in the huge club tonight, but in that moment it felt like there were only two.

"It's the guy from the pool." Blair said and didn't even know if Serena heard her over the music.

"It seems like you've picked up an admirer…" Serena teased, not thinking Blair would do anything about it.

Still unable to look away from him… Blair threw caution to the wind. She swung her head back to Serena. "Don't wait up."

With that Blair began to weave her way through the heaving crowed and it was a struggle for a stunned Serena to keep her pegged with her eyes. With her jaw hanging open she saw Blair reach the two bouncers that guarded the stairs to the VIP section. One held his ear piece as if listening to rapidly given instructions, nodded a couple of times and then let Blair through. Serena's eyes shot up to the balcony and she wasn't surprised to see the stranger was gone.

"This ought to be interesting." Serena mused as she downed another shot.

Four days later she was passed interesting, worried or furious. She was going out of her mind. Serena was pacing the waiting area of their gate and their flight home had already boarded and was making last call announcements. For the first time in her life, Serena thought she may be hyperventilating and need a paper bag. Blair hadn't come home that first night, and from then on Serena had received little more than quick texts from Blair assuring her that she was alive and would be back soon. Soon turned into the day they were supposed to leave, and then into the last minutes before the attendants closed the gate.

Serena was just starting to mentally prepare the speech she would have to give Eleanor Waldorf as to why her daughter had gone missing at a club in France and picking out who she wanted to play her in the TV movie, when she heard the familiar, yet faster, clack of heels coming down the hall.

"Blair!" Serena half screamed in relief.

Blair waved her away and scampered by her saying, "No time for hugs!" as if it had been Serena that had nearly made them miss their flight. They boarded, settled in their first class seats and said nothing until the plane had taken off. Once in the air Serena stared at her friend, while Blair looked anywhere else.

"Where were you?"

Blair couldn't help the smile that spread over her lips. "Having the best four days of my life…"

Serena couldn't help but smile at Blair. "He was that good, huh?"

Blair scoffed. "Serena! And yes… but I'm not telling you right now, if ever. I'm just going to sit here and sleep till we're back in New York. I will however enjoy replaying it in my head… as Nate is dumping me."

With that Blair pulled out her sleep mask, tugged it over her eyes… and fell dead to the world. Serena merely smirked. Her little girl was all grown up.

Hours later they landed in New York and Blair finally pulled the sleep mask off her face. As first class passengers they were the first to disembark. The whole walk through customs Blair could feel Serena's eyes on her, and she knew her best friend wanted details Blair wasn't prepared to give up just yet. Growing tired of the constant eye nagging, Blair was just about to spill as they walked through the security doors, but both girls were brought up short. Through the airport crowd they could see Nate's head poking out from between the tourists.

Blair grabbed Serena's elbow and Serena would have flinched if she weren't used to it. "I can't believe him!" Blair hissed. "He couldn't even wait till I got home and settled before he broke up with me? He had to come to their airport to do it?"

Before Serena could answer, Blair's jaw tightened and she straightened her shoulders. "Fine. Let's do this."

Serena followed her as Blair stormed through the crowd. Blair stopped dead in her tracks so fast that Serena slammed into her back. They were both bowled over to find Nathanial Archibald standing there with a huge bouquet of red roses and an earnest expression on his face.

"Blair!" He grabbed her into his arms and hugged her tightly to him, the flowers pressing into her back and possibly being what kept him from sensing how stiff she was in his arms. "Blair, I'm an idiot!"

Blair tended to agree so she kept quiet to see where this was going. What came next stunned her into speechlessness. Possibly a first in the history of her life.

"Blair, I was wrong. I thought I wanted to date other girls… But I don't, this summer showed me that."

Blair's eyes found Serena's and they both looked like they were going to fall out of their heads. Nate continued quickly, "And I know what you're going to say. That sure, I've come to that conclusion the day you come home and after spending the whole summer screwing all over New York… But that's not what happened. I missed you like crazy! I couldn't even look at another girl! Blair, I love you!"

Blair thought she was going to have a heart attack. This was the best-case scenario that her old movie romantic side loved… and she had been sure it had been about to be over. This was perfect! Then she remembered the last four days. She should tell him now. End it.

"I love you too!" She half screamed and threw herself into his arms.

Over his shoulder she saw Serena shaking her head and Blair cast Serena a look that told her if she said anything she'd be waking up bald tomorrow morning. Then she went back to trying to shove as much enthusiasm into her hug as possible. So much so that she didn't see the dark haired boy holding an arm full of peonies several yards away.

TahDAH! There it is. The beginning. I don't know, as yet, how long it's going to be, but I will tell you that I'll be writing a flashback into how they spent their four days. Hope you like it. Hope I like the new episode tonight. Now… have any of you seen Drive? SooooOoOOOoOooo not what I was expecting! I think it should have been called Blood instead of Drive.


	2. Chapter 2

Hello! Okay, so I should say that it's short and I haven't proof read it! I was in a mood to write this morning and I have to get ready and leave for work in 13 minutes. Hopefully I didn't screw up too much. Here we go…

Serena sat back in the limo and witnessed a scene that had played out before her eyes many times before. Blair and Nate were snuggled up against each other in the limo seat across from her. To the untrained eye they seemed to have lost themselves in each other, however Serena knew better. She knew Blair better. Instead of reading her magazine like she usually would in these situations, she kept her eyes trained on her friend. There were beats, like Blair ever so slightly pulling away when Nate was tugging her closer. Subtly pulling up the scarf that was draped around her throat. There was a wall, and it seemed like it was the elephant in the car to everyone but Nate.

Nate was again trying to kiss her when Blair lurched out of his arms and pressed the call button for the driver. She quickly commanded they drop Nate off at his home first.

"Seriously?" He asked like a kicked puppy. "I thought we could go to your place and…"

Blair froze for a fraction of a second, but recovered with a huge smile. "Sweetie, I'd love too… but I'm exhausted and school starts in two days. I need to do so much maintenance… spa care… facial… mani and pedi… You know the school doesn't run itself, and what would the freshmen think if they came in and weren't suitably intimidated?"

"That would be a travesty…" Serena supplied drolly without looking up from her magazine.

Blair took a minute to scowl at her friend before turning overly bright eyes back to Nate. He looked like he was going to argue again, but just then they pulled up out front of his town home.

"Oh, look! We're here!" With that she slapped a closed mouth kiss on his lips and shoved him out of the car. They were driving away before Nate seemed to have even fully comprehended what had happened.

Letting out the breath she'd been holding for the past hour, Blair slumped back against the seat. She was jostled a second later as Serena plopped down next to her and nudged her with her elbow.

"Sooo…?"

Blair frowned and tried to shove her away, but Serena just laughed and wrapped her arms around Blair in a goofy hug. "Come on! How was my favourite little Type A's first foray into sensual adventure? I want details!"

"There's nothing to tell." Blair sniffed as she continued to try to shove Serena away. Damn her Blonde super strength.

"Oh, really?" Serena raised a teasing brow and yanked off Blair's scarf to reveal a neck and collarbones that wore a half dozen telling marks.

"Serena!"

"I bet there's more where those came from…" Serena said sultrily as she pretended to try to get a look down Blair's top.

Blair shoved Serena's face away from her chest, but then went lax in her friend's arms. "S, it was amazing…"

At her friend's dreamy tone, Serena sat up a little, but before she could say anything it was as if Blair was shaking herself of all the memories of the past four days.

"But it could ruin my life!"

Serena sighed as she felt Blair's Blairness kick in. "What was I thinking? If anyone at school ever finds out… If Nate finds out… I'll be ruined!

"Blair—"

"You know I'm right. You know how many bitches have been trying to take me down for years." Blair pointed out a true fact. As the Queen B, she'd kept people in line and in fear for years. There were more than a few people who would love to see her fall. "Promise me you won't say anything! You're the only one in New York, besides me that knows! We can bury this thing where even blood hounds couldn't find it!"

Blair had now grabbed Serena's hands in a tight grip, and S couldn't ignore the begging look in B's eyes. Serena sighed. If it had been her she would have loved the adventure, and she had a feeling B had too… But Blair was new to this type of thing, and had always kept a clear eye on any repercussions that could unfold.

"I promise." Serena pledged and the girls sealed it with a hug. "But you know one day, I'm gonna make you tell me what happened with your dark, mysterious stranger…" Serena mused against Blair's hair.

"Good luck with that." Blair declared as they pulled up outside her penthouse. "This is me!"

And with that Blair scrambled away under the watch of a far too amused Serena. Serena sat back for the rest of her ride home and couldn't help but think about the light in her friend's eyes when she'd seen the Euro boy. Judging from the glow she'd worn all the way home on the plane… he had delivered. Serena was still smiling to herself when the elevator doors opened to her home. Walking in she saw that her mother and brother weren't alone. Lily stood up and rushed to greet her daughter.

"Serena, you're home!" She pulled her in and they shared light kisses on their cheeks. "I have news!"

Serena's eyes sought Eric's, and he grinned like he'd been waiting to see her reaction for weeks. "Wait for it… wait for it…"

"I got married!" Lily announced with flourish.

Serena's face dulled. "Shocker."

The man sitting on the couch stood up, and then the teenager that had sat beside him did the same, giving S her first real look at both. Then it really was a shocker.

Two days later Nate was pacing outside the school, he'd been waiting for his girlfriend to arrive for almost a half hour and now school would be starting in half an hour and there was still no sign of her. This caused him to pace, because it was so unlike her. She was always early for everything, and what also wasn't like her was that she'd been home for two days and he hadn't seen her since the limo ride back from the airport. And it wasn't him this time, it was all her with the excuses. She had to be groomed, dinner with her mother and stepfather, shopping with Dorota. She hadn't answered any of his calls, and all he got were short texts. It was driving him crazy.

Just then a long, black stretch limo pulled up and Serena got out. He was so ready to drill her for answers that he didn't realize that she wasn't alone.

"Have you seen Blair?"

Serena looked at him a beat before awkwardly glancing over her shoulder. "She's on the Met steps…" Was her mumbled reply.

That's when he became aware of the other guy.

"Are you new?" Nate asked confused.

"Apparently…" The stranger said with a perfect smirk tilting his mouth.

"So… I'm going to head to the steps…" Serena tried to excuse herself and was already stepping away.

"By all means… allow us to accompany you…" The boy smiled again, and Serena had to gulp.

Blair was sitting on the steps lecturing Iz about her bow having to be on the left, and was so focused in her rant that she didn't even see the trio climb the steps until they were only four away.

"B…" Serena hedged as she stepped away from the boys who had followed her to Blair and tried to get subtly closer to her friend.

Blair was just about to tell Serena off for interrupting her, when she caught sight of her new audience. He was all she saw for a moment and it was like the sun opened up and it was only the two of them in this place and in this moment, and for a split second, sheer joy radiated out of her eyes at the sight of him. Then reality crashed in.

If she had been standing she would have head-planted straight down the Met steps to the sidewalk far below. Her mind couldn't form thought let alone words.

What the hell was he doing here?

Serena sat quickly down next to her to let Blair lean on her for support. The girl was clearly in shock, and S was going to try to limit the damage in any way she could. She tried to make it look like they were just sitting close like they often did.

Serena cleared her throat to try to talk because it became apparent that no one had spoken in several beats. "B… This is my new step-brother—"

With a Cheshire smile the not so stranger, stranger leaned forward and offered her one of his perfect hands.

"I'm Chuck Bass."

TahDAH! Okay there it is. Sorry for errors. And sorry for something else. I may or may not… have written an entire chapter about their four days together. I may or may not be deciding when the best time to post it in will be.

The show… stop reading now if you haven't watched. Louis is CREEPY. Totally think he's going to struggle with Blair on the stairs, she's gonna fall and lose the baby. The dog? How MUCH do I love him? SO MUCH! Chuck put up doggy gates! So sweet! Gotta run! I'm sooooo gonna be late for work!


	3. Chapter 3

Hello! Okay, so just so we're all on the same page right from the start… I am writing this jacked out of my mind on cold medicine. Oh, and I watched Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake's History of Rap parts 1, 2, and 3… and now I can't stop singing Push It, in my head… and maybe dancing around my apartment to it. Dunt, dunt dunt dunt, dunt dunt dunt dananana. Here we go…

Blair still looked like a deer caught in the headlights of an eighteen-wheeler, so Serena hissed into her ear. "Shake his hand!"

As if attached to strings, the marionette formerly known as Blair managed to lift one of her perfectly manicured hands to his. She expected him to simply shake it and release it, hell that was a standardized greeting in many places all over the world, which is how she explained what happened next, explained the shockwave. Chuck hand clasped hers, turned it, and in the space of a breath he'd leaned in and pressed his lips to the back of her hand. It seemed chivalrous to most of the crowd that watched. Only Blair and Chuck knew that he'd slid his tongue across her knuckles. Only they felt the current that ran from the point of contact to their outer most extremities. Not unfamiliar, but still shocking them both. Blair pulled her hand away quickly and tucked it close to her chest as if a flame had singed her. As if she's liked it. Her eyes were locked on his and a knowing smile edged his mouth.

"Breathe, B. Breathe!" Serena hissed into Blair's ear. She then cast her most shining smile up at the boys who were standing over them because it was known for its power of distraction. It worked on the blonde, but for her dark haired new sibling she had to pullout the words. "Chuck, don't you have to go to the office to get your class list?"

"Hmm?" He commented, still looking at Blair.

"Chuck!" Serena snapped.

Chuck sighed. "Very well."

He clapped his hands together and looked around the group until his eyes landed on Nate. "Care to show me the way?"

Blair made a sound like she'd swallowed a bug, but as all eyes swung back to her, Serena started slamming her hand against a now coughing Blair's back, and made the excuse. "Pesky yogurt. Those mixed berries can really sneak up on you!"

"Blair, are you alright?" Nate asked with concern.

"She's fine." Serena offered, now patting lightly as Blair drew quickly from a straw in her bottle of water.

"I'll say…" Chuck smirked.

"Goodbye, Chuck." Serena said pointedly.

Chuck nodded and looked back at Nate before sweeping his had in a jester meant to indicate Nate could lead the way. Both boys started walking down the Met steps, but not before Chuck's starter conversation reached several ears.

"I think we're going to be great friends." Chuck said almost chipper as he slapped Nate on the back. "I just get the feeling we have so much in common…"

He cast a look at Blair over his shoulder and her eyes narrowed as she grasped his meaning. Luckily all eyes were on Chuck, so no one saw Blair flush to the roots of her hair.

With the girls alone, the minions launched into their takes on the new boy. Pure money, New money to be sure, but a lot of it, so much so that its age could be overlooked. Hot as hell and infinitely fuckable. These two things seemed to be the consensus, but Blair dismissed the group at the word "fuckable". She told them they were crass and that at lunch they were to sit on the bottom steps as penance for the vulgarity.

Blair glared them away and then waited a beat before turning on her best friend.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Blair half screeched.

"Blair, I've been calling you for days!" Serena defended herself.

"You have feet! You should have used them to run over to my house and tell me that my brief lapse in judgment, that was supposed to be a fond recollection for when I was forty and dried up, was now your new brother and my new classmate!"

"One, when was the last time you saw me run? Two, you know you'll jack yourself with fillers and hormones long before you dry up. And three… you haven't told me anything about anything from your lost four days! For all I know you met him, hated him, and spent that time sitting in a mud bath in Florence."

Blair's head quirked to the side. "You know, sometimes, you really are smarter than you look."

"Thanks!" The insult finally landed. "Hey!"

"So?" Blair put on her best 'moving right along' voice. "You have a new brother? What do you know about him?"

"I get the feeling you know more him. Biblically."

"Oh, he's a Christian?" Blair asked innocently.

"Blair."

"Look, you were right. For all anyone knows I've never laid eyes on Chuck Bass before. I have no reason to be guilty or nervous."

"And yet the word 'laid' jumps heavily through my mind…"

"I have no idea what you're talking about?"

"What happened with you two?"

"We held hands and went to the movies." Blair deadpanned, and then glanced at her cell. "We're going to be late for class."

Blair was already skipping down the steps but Serena called out to her. "You know you're going to tell me eventually!"

Blair cast a smirk over her shoulder. "I wouldn't count on that!"

Serena smiled back at her friend. "I guess if we're keeping secrets… I'll keep all my new found knowledge of my step-brother to myself…"

Blair had turned away, but froze and turned back. "I hate you."

"You love me." Serena laughed.

"My house after school?"

"Deal."

Blair spent the rest of the day dodging. This wasn't new. She'd been doing it since she got home a few days ago, but it was only more difficult because now she was in the microcosm of high school. Why the hell was her elite school so small, she wondered more than once throughout the day? Nate had emailed her his schedule as soon as he got it, so it was easier to avoid him, and she accidentally on purpose forgot to message him her own schedule. For now she knew where he'd be, but he'd be clueless to find her, which is exactly the way she liked it today. What she didn't like? The amount of times today when she felt the hairs go up on the back of her neck, and she knew his intense brown eyes were watching her. Once or twice, she'd pretend to be playing with her hair and turn her head, and each time her eyes met his and were trapped and neither looked away until someone called her attention back to them and she'd release her gaze.

Neither made a move to approach the other, but Blair still felt like she was being stalked for most of the day.

When the last bell rang she was out of school like a shot and didn't even think about walking home like she usually did. She'd called for a car during her last period and hopped into the waiting vehicle the second she crossed the courtyard. She made it upstairs to her penthouse with pure composure, even being able to tell Dorota school was fine when she'd asked. She knew she didn't have much time until Serena go there, and she knew she needed a release before she covered everything that was pouring through her had. With that in mind she went up stairs to her room and locked the door. She started pacing faster and faster, her breath becoming shorter and shorter as the panic seized her.

She liked order. She liked knowing everything there was to know about others, but keeping her own secrets. She was good at both. Now there was an uncontrollable element on the playing field. Chuck. But it was more than that. It was the riot of emotions that were running through her. It was the wanting a boy she could never have. Did she even want him? Why was he here? What did he want? Had he come here for her or was it a massive coincidence? What was he going to do now? Next? What would Nate say? What would Nate do? What could she do about any of it?

The overwhelming sense of loss of control doubled Blair over and she ran to the bathroom, barely making it before emptying her stomach into the toilet. She heaved and heaved until she was an empty mess on the floor.

A half hour later Serena pushed open Blair's bedroom door to find a highly composed Blair sitting on her bed and doing her homework.

"B, where'd you go?"

Blair looked around. "Kenya to help orphans. What does it look like?"

Serena came over and flopped on the bed with Blair. She knew her friend well. She knew something was off.

"You okay?"

Blair blinked and Serena nodded. For now that was all either needed to do.

"So?" Blair asked.

"So." Serena began. "My mom married Bart Bass."

"I figured." Blair confirmed with an eye roll. "He is Chuck Bass after all."

"So you knew that?"

Blair looked at Serena like she was off her head. "We did do some talking, you know."

"Plus a lot of other stuff?" Serena probed with an arched brow.

"No comment. It's your turn right now."

"Okay, but I have no idea what you know or what you don't know…"

"Tell me what you know."

"I know that he was born here in Manhattan. Lived here until he was four and then his father started taking him all over the world on business after that… until he was like… twelve… and then it was boarding school. I have no idea what happened to his mother. Now that Bart is staying in one place… he's brought Chuck home. To my home. They moved in a few days ago."

Blair nodded and lay back against the pillows. She'd actually learned most of that throughout today from her sources at school as well as gossip girl. From the gossip she'd learned he was a notorious player and had earned that reputation young. He tried everything and everyone. He was dark, brooding and intense, and apparently didn't let anyone close enough to learn anything different. She'd learned many new facts about Chuck Bass today. None of what she learned held a candle to what she already knew, what he had told her of himself over their four days together.

What she was left with was… nothing. She didn't know who the real Chuck Bass was, and a part of her broke at the thought that the boy she had met was just an illusion, a rich boy playing games as rich boys were apt to do. She knew this because she was a rich girl who had often done the same.

The question was the same however. What happens next?

TahDAH! I blew my nose at least 27 times during the writing of this chapter. My keyboard should be quarantined. Oh, and on top of that. Guess what I got today. Now I'm bloated, crampy and congested. People should stay clear. If you were thinking of writing a negative review… I would never try to stop you… I'd just warn you that neither you nor I have any idea of what response you might get.

For everyone who asked, I love Chuck's American slow drawl. Ed's English accent is hot don't get me wrong… But Chuck just seems American to me, so no, he does not have any other accent than that of the UES.


	4. Chapter 4

Hello! Have I ever told you that one of my top three fears are zombies? Monkeys, large bodies of water, and zombies. So here's what an idiot I am… I've been watching the Walking Dead. Idiot is me. I end up sleeping with the bathroom light on for the next few days. I do this because I had a dream that a zombie was lurching along the side of my bed, I woke up, couldn't see diddly, had a panic attack, couldn't find the light switch, nearly screamed and knocked over everything on my bedside table… and that's why the bathroom light now stays on. Here we go…

Blair glanced down the hall and breathed a sigh of relief when she found it to be empty. She'd managed to make it through a fourth day with nary a run in with the boy from her most recent past. She'd been stuck in small and large groups with him, but never alone. There were moments, however. The first day of classes, much to her dismay, he sat directly behind her in US History, but that couldn't count for anything. It especially didn't count when she'd feel his breath brush across her neck or move her hair. But there was another moment, one she couldn't get out of her head.

Wednesday after noon a group of them had been sitting on the steps, and she had somehow found herself sandwiched between Chuck and Nate. She'd ignored Serena's badly covered laugh, and told herself there was safety in numbers. She was pretending to listen to Nate tell a story about football, and she placed her hand down on the cold stone beside her, her skirt falling over her hand, in order to prop herself closer to Nate… when her stone cooled fingers suddenly went hot.

Chuck's hand was covering hers.

Her smile froze on her face and her eyes stayed locked on Nate… but every part of her body was focused on the hot, graceful hand that covered hers. A second later his hand turned hers and she could do nothing to stop because she'd risk exposing the activity that was going on under the fabric. As their palms made contact, sparks seemed to shoot up her arm, and she bit her lip so hard she tasted blood.

Yes, that didn't count, groups didn't count, and she kept trying to tell herself Europe didn't count. In order to keep things from counting… she had to keep moving.

After convincing her teacher to let her out early in order to attend to some Student Body President business, she was out of class a whole ten minutes before classes let out for the day. She knew Nate had soccer practice, and she had a hunch that his new bestie would be on the field, if not to watch Nate, then to watch her. He seemed to always be with Nate, and Nate seemed to always want to be with her, and it could have led to an awkward situation, but Blair being Blair had managed to avoid that and any time alone with the new boy.

She moved at a clipped pace to get to her locker and when she did she quickly riffled through it for what she needed, shoved books and notes into her bag and glanced at her phone and sighed in relief. She had four minutes to spare and with them she'd be out of here Scot-free. She triumphantly slammed her locker shut… and nearly died of shock. Chuck Bass was leaning against the locker next to hers. Her dark, dark eyes widened and her mouth opened and shut as she was for once at a loss for words.

Still discombobulated she was unprepared for his hand catching her behind her neck and pulling her into a passionate kiss. The kiss ended as quickly as it had started, and with a last smirk at her he turned and walked away leaving Blair half collapsing against her locker.

"Damn it." Blair swore as she pulled herself together and then half ran out of the school.

Blair called had Dorota call her in sick the next day.

Laying across her bed Friday morning she realized that, while she needed a break from the situation she'd innocently landed in, it gave her time to think for the first time since the Met steps, okay maybe since the moment she got off the plane… or maybe from the first time she saw him across from her at the pool.

She huffed to herself, blaming her hormones for this heady attraction to a boy she barely knew. She curled on to the side knowing that wasn't true. From the beginning she'd felt like she'd always known him.

Then she thought about the boy she had knows all her life. Nate. They'd been together forever, there had been times she'd had to fight to keep him, but it had always been them in the end. Constance/St. Jude's Golden couple… and yet this week she'd hardly given him a though, her mind being too focused to the dark haired, golden eyed… pain in the ass who'd exploded into her life. Which is why she found it best to avoid Nate, which she'd never really done before… and was surprised to find was difficult. He seemed to be all over her since she'd gotten back, but luckily she was an excellent dodger.

Through out the day she got calls and texts from Serena, Nate and various minions, but she ignored them all. She contemplated moving to France. Or joining a nunnery. Neither seemed that appealing. The first because she love New York, and the second was because of the wardrobe… or at least that's what she told herself stopped her the most.

"You're hiding."

Blair jumped and spun around on the bed, startled by the accusatory voice that had snuck into her room.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Blair said defensively, but knew she was lying. "Shouldn't you be in school?"

Serena ignored Blair's harsh tone. "It's four o'clock. Do you know where your boyfriends are?"

"You keep thinking you get funnier as you get older, but really you just get more insane."

"I take that to mean you have successfully hid from both Nate and Chuck for the majority of the week.

Blair had managed to make it through the whole week avoiding nearly all contact with Chuck. This task was made more difficult by the fact that he seemed to now be BFFs with her boyfriend. There was also the fact that she was avoiding Nate as well, so there was that. She now felt like she knew what the lone antelope felt like at the watering hole. She hated being prey.

Serena saw the melancholy on Blair's face and pulled her into her arms. Blair rested her head on her friend's shoulder.

"Boys are trouble." Blair grumbled.

"You said it."

"I wish I was a lesbian."

"I wouldn't go that far."

"I wasn't suggesting it would be with you."

Serena looked deeply insulted. "What's wrong with me? I'm a catch!"

"You're flighty. I'd fall in love with you and you'd break my heart." Blair teased. "You forget… Who better has seen the trail of broken hearted boys you've left in your wake."

"Touché!" Serena laughed and shock Blair a little, making her laugh as well. "Let's go out tonight? You can crash at my place!"

"Yes, that's exactly what I want to do." Blair said with a straight face. "I spend the last five days avoiding him only to head into the belly of the beast, also known as the place where he lives."

Serena rolled her eyes and nudged her friend. "Blair, you're the Queen of Constance, and most likely the Queen of the Upper East Side—"

"Most likely?" Blair sat up indignantly.

Serena ignored her indignation. "You're going to let these boys threaten you? You're better than that."

"These 'boys' as you call them, can ruin me. What do you think will become of my reputation if the truth comes out?"

"And here I thought you'd be scared that your loving Nate would dump you for your lapse of fidelity."

"Yes, that's exactly what I meant. So good that you could read between the lines…" Blair said dryly.

Serena laughed, jumped up from the bed and ran to Blair's closet. She came out shaking a dress and wiggling her shoulders. "You could wear this…."

Blair scowled, first at the singsong voice being used on her, and second… The dress. She'd wanted to touch it the first time she'd seen it, and had wanted to see it on her body more than anything. Some would just call it a little black dress… but they'd be idiots. It was silk and sensuality. When she put it on it the change room of the exclusive boutique, she'd bee caught by her own reflection. The fabric cut indecent inches above her knees and a slit ran up the left side, allowing movement and ample peeks at white skin. The fabric hugged up her waist and bottom. Up until recently Blair had always felt like her backside was her greatest flaw, because she'd tried everything from dieting and special workouts to get rid of it, but there it remained. In this dress? She'd loved how it made her waist look tiny while showcasing the feature she'd been most weary of. The front of the dress almost modest as it swept across her collarbones to her shoulders, making it a dress her mother might have picked out for her… until Blair turned around. The fabric flowed away from her back to the base of her spine, leaving a wide expanse of perfect skin on display. It had been an impulse buy… a fleeting thought of maybe wearing it for Nate, but then deciding she couldn't do that. She'd meant to throw the dress out, but for some reason she'd hung onto it.

Serena was right. She was Blair Waldorf. She controlled everything, and she wasn't going to cower because of her life. Tonight she was going to enjoy it.

A few hours later Blair and Serena were out in the night, hitting four clubs and drinking and laughing through it all. In the first club Blair had been worried about bumping into Nate or Chuck, but after the second club, she had no worries at all. By the third she could barely remember her own name… and that's why the fourth was a blur of light and music. Various male hands had tried to grab the beautiful girl who spun by them, but she evaded them all. She'd lost Serena in the crowd dancing on the floor, but she didn't care as she twirled. She twirled so fast that the lights began to spin in a pattern of sparkle making her think it was more magical than it was. She was so caught up that when she lost her footing she was truly caught off guard, and she would have tumbled to the floor in a hideous flump that was sure to be captured for Gossip Girl, when strong hands came about her waist to save her and pull her into his body.

"I've got you." Purred a hot mouth.

Blair shoved the hair off her sweaty forehead as her eyes took forever to focus and look up at him. Their chests were pressed together, her hands resting against his shirt, and his warm hands were against the bare skin of her back as he held her close. It suddenly felt like it was just the two of them in a twirling mass of sparkle. Blair thought her head was going to explode. He took advantage of her daze and his lips met hers in a hard, wet kiss that seemed to go on forever. She pulled away, and took a step back from him as she licked her bottom lip. Her eyes never left his.

"Not yet you don't." She smirked, and as he raised a hand to catch her, she disappeared into the crowd.

TahDAH! Okay, so… I'm a little sad. Right now I am writing on my old computer and her name is Mallory. I just bought a new computer, Gloria. I have written every fic I've ever done on Mallory, and I think this will be the final chapter I'll write on her as well. It's sad, but times they are a changing.

There are lots of upsides… but a down side is also that I'm now CRAZY broke. Like… I know have to CHOSE which areas I get waxed and threaded because I can't afford them all. I'll leave it to your imagination as to which ones I'll let go wild.


	5. Chapter 5

Hello! I don't know if I've told you this, but I don't work Fridays. Now that I have my new computer I can video chat, and for some reason I let my best friend schedule our first chat at 6:30am my time. Okay, I knew the reason. I love her, it will be 9:30am her time, and I think she greatly enjoys the fact that she's getting me up before 8am. It was totally worth it! I got to see my AMAZING best friend, her wife, their PERFECT little girl, and meet their new son. It was fantastic. More than I could ask for. I still have goosebumps. Here we go...

Blair felt like she was high, or at least what she imagined it would feel like to get high given the fact that she always said No to Drugs. At this moment she knew she had a good deal of alcohol coursing through her, but there was something else. She felt charged. She felt like she was soaring. She felt like she'd never come down.

"Blair?"

SLAM!

So that's what hitting the ground felt like. Blair jerked to a stop and turned towards the voice that had intruded on her high.

"Nate!" She put a smile in her voice if not her eyes.

His smile grew, not noticing the lack of genuine happiness on her face at the sight of him. "Blair, I can't believe you're here!"

They both had to half yell over the pounding music.

"And why is that?" She slipped for a second and her indignation shone through.

Nate missed it. "Because you hate stuff like this."

"I do? Because I could have sworn I was having a good time tonight." Just as she finished her sentence she was shoved from behind by a too eager dancer, and went flying into Nate's chest. Before she could step back, his arms came up around her.

"That's it. Let's get you out of here." He said already angling them both towards the door.

Blair shook her head and tried to pull away. "No. I'm not leaving."

"What?" He once again looked confused. "We're leaving."

"'We' aren't doing anything. I came here with Serena and I'll leave with Serena."

"Then lets go get her. We can drop her at home and then go back to your place. You're mom's not home, right?"

"She's never home." Blair derided. "But that's beside the point. I'm not leaving!"

"Yes you are!"

At this point they weren't just yelling to be heard, they were yelling because the other was pissing them off. Nate grabbed her arm. She pulled it away. For a second it looked like he was going to throw her over his shoulder and just carry her out, but her eyes narrowed. She didn't raise her voice. He read her lips loud and clear.

"Don't even think about it."

Nate threw up his hands. Most of the club was watching Constance/St. Jude's Golden couple fight publicly for only the second time in their long history, the first being when Prince Charming suggested they see other people over this recently passed summer.

Shoving her way through the crowd Serena made it to her best friend's side. "B, you okay?"

"Never better..." Blair said snidely, her eyes still on Nate although she addressed Serena. "Let's go dance!"

With that, Blair grabbed her long limbed friend and hit the floor. Nate stood there in bemusement as he watched the girls dance.

"I feel like I don't even know her."

Chuck took a deep drink from his glass. "Are you sure you ever did?"

Nate sparred the new guy a small frown before pushing through the crowd to go get wasted at the bar. Chuck went to find a seat with a good view. Hours felt like minutes as Blair danced. She danced for fun. She danced for herself. She danced for all the eyes she knew were watching her, and one pair in particular. She couldn't see him, but she knew he was there.

As they stumbled into the limo, Blair doubled over, still laughing, but that was the cause of her pain. They'd laughed so much that her stomach felt like she'd been punched in the gut. As they subsided and rode in the now quiet car, Blair leaned her head against Serena's shoulder and hooked her hands on S's elbow.

"Thanks for tonight. And this summer."

Serena smiled and rested her cheek against dark hair. "You're welcome."

"You're a good friend."

"Tell me about it." Serena rolled her eyes teasingly.

Blair giggled and held a little tighter as she rested her eyes for a moment. She woke up as the gust of cool September night air hit her face when the limo door was opened. Blair stretched at little and looked around, slightly confused. They weren't outside her penthouse.

"No... S, I want to go home."

"This is a home. Mine." Serena giggled.

Blair shook her head so adamantly that her hair flew around her face and looked mutinously up at her friend how had climbed out of the car. "He's not here, B. I promise. I heard him tell his valet not to bother laying out his morning clothes, which means the house will be Chuckless. This was the plan, remember? Great night out plus crashing at my place equals super fun old times! Now can you hurry?"

Given her lowered mental state she bought what Serena was selling, and the fact that she didn't look forward to being home alone, she got her wobbly legs to climb out of the car. The strap of her shoe slipped beneath her heel and Blair leaned against the limo to adjust it.

"Blair, can you please move faster!"

"Why?" Blair said, moving slower to spite Serena.

"Because I have a curp hewsss..."

"What?" Blair's face crinkled. " I didn't catch that."

"I have a curfew." Serena sighed heavily.

She was not surprised by the laughter that doubled Blair over.

"You know my mom with a new husband... we're under his regime until Mom gets tired of it, so could you just humour me and move those tiny feet of yours?"

Blair held out her hand and Serena grabbed it to pull her up out of her slouch on the car, and didn't let go as she dragged her into the building and up to Lily's penthouse. The place was dimly lit, but as they were giggling towards S's bedroom Bart Bass emerged from seemingly nowhere. Serena stopped dead and Blair slammed into her back. Bart Bass was not amused.

"Hi, Bart..." Serena tried to smile and pull herself together. Under his stare it wasn't working.

Blair however, had no such issue. Even though she had drunk nearly as much as her friend, she was able to stiffen her posture, calm her expression, take a step forward and offer Bart Bass her hand with a sparkling, nearly stone-cold sober esk smile. "Good evening, Mr. Bass. I'm Blair Waldorf. It's so nice to meet you."

Class, breeding and having Eleanor Waldorf for a mother had just paid off.

Bart looked the poised girl up and down before nodding. "Ms. Waldorf. I've met your father several times."

"Really? May I ask which one?" She smiled as she widened her eyes expectantly.

Bart actually looked ever so slightly caught off guard. "Uh, Harold Waldorf."

"Ah, yes, Daddy." She confirmed, wanting to kick Serena for standing there with her mouth hanging open. "He's living in France now, but I'll be sure to pass on your regards."

"Please do."

"I'd be delight." Her head cocked to the side as she noted a pair of valets caring a series of bags down the stairs. "Are you going somewhere?"

Her tone was so polite Bart was unable to challenge her request. "Yes. I've been called away on business for the next week. I was merely waiting to confirm adherence to the household rules."

"I'm home! Right on time!"

Blair could have stepped on Serena's foot. She'd been wining Bart over and distracting him from their inebriated state, and S was ruining it. Luckily Bart just grunted and signaled to the valets. "Let's keep it that way."

Somehow they made it to Serena's bedroom before exploding with laughter.

"Do you see? Do you see what I live with now?" Serena laughed as she plopped down on her bed. "You should see family dinner night, the five of us all around the table-"

Serena broke off not wanting to bring up one of the members of family dinners and change Blair's current good mood. Blair seemed to be of the same frame of mind, because she let the mention go uncommented on.

"Bart's doesn't seem so bad... Or at least not any different than any other New Monied billionaire."

"I guess..." Serena grumbled as she pulled her legs up to slip under the fluffy cover of her duvet. She pulled her earring off and tossed them on the bedside table. "He's just so... Bassie."

Blair chuckled as she sat by the vanity to pull her shoes off and took a minute to rub the soles of her feet to alleviate the battering they'd taken tonight. "You need to learn how to fake it."

Serena shook her head as she rolled on to her stomach and shoved her face into a pillow. "It's never been one of my strong suits."

"Don't I know it." Blair agreed, looking at her reflection in the full length mirror and knowing she wasn't going to be able to sleep till she'd showered the scent of bar off her skin and out of her hair. She grabbed her overnight bag, that she'd had Dorota send over, and headed to Serena's on-suite.

In the bathroom Blair turned on the water, stripped and stepped into the shower. A half hour later she was washed, dried, moisturized and wearing a pair of silk boy shorts and a matching camisole. She stepped out of the bathroom and was greeted by the sound of her best friend's light snoring. Blair stood there for a moment, trying to decide what to do, because after her sobering conversation with Bart and her shower, she really wasn't all that tired. Given that her friend's home was Bass free for the night, Blair slipped out the door and padded into the living room.

Lily redecorated on a regular basis, and Blair had expected that with a new husband would come another round of business for the Van Der Woodsen's interior designer, but Blair had been surprised to find much of the apartment had remained untouched. There were some small differences Blair notes as she stopped in front of a table filled with family photos. Many of them she remembered having seen here forever, but she was drawn to a new one. It was a seemingly standard school shot, but one of very high quality. She picked up the picture of the small boy in his school uniform and studied it carefully. She wouldn't admit this out loud, but Chuck Bass made for an adorable little boy, even with a sullen expression on his, what she would guess to be, his five year old face. She frowned for a moment because there was only one thing wrong. He had the saddest eyes she'd ever seen. She'd never known his eyes to look that sad in the brief time that she'd known him. It made her sad to think of such a little boy looking that sad, and it made her remember the times in her own younger years when she had felt sadness too. She wondered if he'd felt alone.

Blair caught herself there and shook her head to clear it. "No good can come from this train of thought." She told herself firmly.

Putting the picture down, almost reluctantly, she headed to the kitchen. Having grown up with Serena, she felt like this place was almost a second home, so Blair felt no qualms in opening up the fridge and rooting around. First she took out a medium sized bowl that was filled with the most beautiful seedless green grapes you could find, and she placed the bowl on the counter, followed by a bottle of grapefruit Perrier. This was what she should have. A few grapes, a glass of water and then bed... but no one was around and she had a hunger. Back to the fridge she licked her lips as she went for the cake she had spotted earlier. She held the fridge door open with her hip as she used both hands to lift the lemon cake, that was missing only a few pieces, off of the shelf she'd found it on.

She backed up, her eyes joyfully on the tasty treat, and let the fridge door slope closed. She turned towards the counter... and nearly dropped the cake. Chuck was standing by the counter with a hip propped against it as he plucked a grape from the bowl and popped it into his mouth, smiling as it burst against his tongue at the first bite, smiling larger when his eyes drifted over her.

"Well, well, well..." Drawled a voice. "Happy to see me?"

Without even having to look down, she knew he was referring to two small sections of her anatomy which had hardened under the thin silk of her cami. She scowled at him.

"Shut up! It was the cold from the fridge."

"Of course..." Chuck merely smiled knowingly.

Ignoring him she walked over to the counter and placed the cake on the marble. She padded around the kitchen, knowing every part, as she grabbed a plate, a cake knife and fork before returning to her prize. She wished she was wearing more clothing. Given that he seemed to be wearing only silk as well, pajamas that is, she wished he was wearing more clothing as well. She wished her hair wasn't wet. She wished his hair didn't look freshly washed making him smell so good. She wished she could stop lying to herself. It made her irritable.

"What are you doing here?" She bit out harshly.

"I live here and it's 3am. Where else would I be?" He asked innocently.

She was about to launch into her bit about what Serena said, but realized that would be admitting they'd spoken about him, and that would give him more power in the situation. So she had to go in another direction.

"Judging from what I've heard... under a super model... or two. How should I know?" She knew the last part showed an emotion she would deny. Jealousy.

He contemplated her for a moment with a quirk to his lips. "Maybe... once upon a time... but I've seen the error of my ways... I've been tamed by the right woman..."

Her mouth dropped open.

"Lily."

Her mouth slammed shut and with too much force she cut into the cake.

"Easy." He said seductively. "I'll be wanting that later..."

Her eyes shot to his, locked for a moment, couldn't take the heat and then forced herself to focus on sliding the cake from the platter and onto her plate.

"Yes... the love of a mother... and I'm here. Before curfew... ever the good son..."

She rolled her eyes as she separated a piece of cake with her fork and lifted it to her lips.

"But then, as you know, I'm good at a lot of things..."

She nearly choked on the bite. He took a step towards her, so close she could feel his heat.

"And as I know... you're endlessly... naughty." His breath whispered into her hair.

Her wide eyes and innocent she looked into his... a second before she slammed a fist full of cake into the side of his perfect, smirking face. That wiped it off of him. The smirk, that is. The cake clung to his skin, with small piece breaking loose from the icing and falling to his chest and shoulders to stain the silk of his purple pajamas.

The image brought pure laughter up from her belly and it jingled around the kitchen. He didn't smile as he wiped the cake from his face, holding the chunk in his hand.

"So... this is how you want to play?" He asked calmly.

She stopped laughing. She backed away. "Now Chuck... let's be reasonable..."

"You mean... like a head start?" He asked taking a step towards her.

"I mean like disarmament?" She hadn't meant it to sound like a question.

His eyes narrowed a fraction of a an inch. He hurled the mush in his hand at her and it slapped wetly against her chest. She screamed. They both lurched for the cake and it was on. In amongst hurled pastry there were shouts by both parties of, "My hair!" and indignation at the rapid loss of perfection. When Blair started throwing grapes, "My eye!" was also added to the mix.

"What exactly is going on here?" A cool firm voice demanded from behind them. And they both froze and slowly looked towards the disgruntled blonde woman now standing in the kitchen.

"He started it!"

"She started it!"

They both shouted at Lily at the same time. Lily pinched the bridge of her knows and wished suddenly for times on a tour bus that hadn't included children of any kind.

"Enough. It's late. Chuck, go to your room. Blair, go to Serena's room. I have to call housekeeping."

They both cast accusatory looks at each other before grumbling apologies to Lily and shuffling to their perspective rooms. Since Chuck and Serena's rooms were beside each other, Blair was able to shove him once in the shoulder before slipping into her best friend's room. She thought she'd slip in to a room still filled with snores. She was wrong. Serena was sitting up in bed and looking at Blair aghast. This was not her Blair Waldorf. Her Blair Waldorf didn't get into food fights with boys. Her Blair Waldorf didn't let anyone mess her clothes. Her Blair Waldorf wouldn't get a pleasurable blush from either of those activities. The girl standing in her bedroom, covered in cake, and not looking too disgruntled about it, wasn't her Blair Waldorf. She was Chuck Bass'.

Her mouth still agape, and with an air of true bewilderment, she asked. "What the hell happened between you two in those four days?"

TahDAH! Now... if you read my stuff you'll know I'm not really into cajoling or threatening reviews out of you... But I had a thought. Out of sheer personal curiosity I wondered what would happen if I said something like, oh, I don't know... I have a number in my head. If I receive that number of reviews for this chapter... the next chapter I post will be the Lost Four Days Chapter. If not I just post the next chapter I choose to write and the LFDC stays in the vault for now.

Hehehe. those of you who are sticklers will see how I've covered my ass.


	6. Chapter 6

Hello! I wanted to thank everyone for their feedback on TLFD. What I have finally decided to do is... post this, the TLFD chapter now. I did this because I got scared I was creating too much of a build up and people would be disappointed when it was just, "meh" of a chapter. However, I will also say this... and this may be how I intended it. The people who don't want to read it can skip it, and read it after the final chapter. I will try to keep it a pure chapter unto itself, only know that now Serena knows the whole story. It's up to you all... kind of like a "Chose your own adventure", but not because the story is still the same. So just to be clear to the people who are choosing to read this now... this is what happened in TLFD. We ended on S in the last chapter, and we'll pick up with her in the next. Oh, and since I'm not 100% sure my mom doesn't read my work... I'm not going super smutty. I know, I know, some of you just groaned in frustration. Don't hate me. Here we go...

Blair shifted through the club floor as if she was being pulled along by an invisible string, and it continued until she made it onto the VIP stairwell and for those brief minutes she was out of his sight range, in that time thoughts started to creep in. What am I doing? He's not _that_ handsome? He wasn't overly tall, or overly built or blonde with eyes like the sky. He didn't make her think of Princes and fairytales... but there was that jaw, and nose, and eyes… and those lips.

Just then her eyes drifted up to where he was now standing and watching her as he waited for her at the top of the stairs.

Screw that, her mind raced, he's perfect. Her feet moved assuredly up the steps.

Two steps from the top he held out his hand to her to assist her the last little way, and Blair idly thought that even his hands were sensual even before she place her small one in his. When his fingers clasped over hers she felt shock ways run up her arm straight to her heart. He must have felt it too because she wasn't alone in the jolt that ran between them.

Wordlessly he brought her over to his booth. There were a couple of people there, but with a small indication of his head they cleared out, and he stepped back to allow Blair to sit first. He sat down after her and she couldn't believe how close they were. She also couldn't believe how very much she wanted to get closer. She felt her body react and it was faster than it ever had been before, it shocked her so much that she pulled back a little, but his hand took hers again and she knew she didn't want to move away.

It was clear that everyone here knew him, but he didn't seem to be interested in engaging with anyone else. It was like he only had eyes for her. She related.

"Did I just crash your party?" She mused with a seductively toss of her hair.

"No… I want you here." He smiled and his golden eyes crinkled.

"Is it your birthday? Should I have a gift for you?" She let him draw his own conclusion about what she would have given him. She hoped he didn't see the blush at the thought of what she would offer.

"I wish is was..." He drawled, his hand was on her knee and he leaned closer so his breath touched her skin. "It's a goodbye party."

"Who's saying goodbye?" She was having a hard time forming thoughts and it wasn't made easier by the way his hand was now moving up her thigh making everything spin.

"We are. Let's get out of here." His voice was low and seductive.

She didn't say anything. She didn't have to because the answer was in her eyes. A slow smile curled the corner of one side of his mouth before he stood and held a hand out to her. She took it and they slid out of the booth, out the club and into a limo that seemed to be waiting for only them.

"I have to say... When we left the club... I was not thinking fish scented, algae ridden dock..." She said haughtily.

He chuckled and rolled his eyes. There wasn't a boat moored there that cost less than ten million and he knew she knew it. He started walking down one of the long piers and left it up to her as to whether she would follow him or not. She watched him go for a moment and wanted to throw her shoe at his head for what he was doing right now. He was giving her a moment to cool her head, to make this her decision and not one she could rationalize as anything but in the morning. Ass, she thought in her head. She should find a cab and go back to her hotel. And yet her eyes wouldn't leave him as he sauntered away. She felt sweat break out on the back of her neck as he moved up a plank and onto the largest yacht in the yard. It was dripping down her back as she practically skipped in her following of him. When she first boarded the boat she paused in confusion. She couldn't see him and in fact the whole place looked deserted. Then she saw his jacket hanging off the handle of the door to the main cabin. She took off her heels and left them on the deck before going and lifting the jacket off and entering. It was a huge living and entertaining area, with a full bar, seating... and a grande piano. And it was as empty as the deck had been. While it was late, light flooded in from the massive windows and she was at first grateful to the moon and the other, well lit boats, for helping her find him... but then realized she had no idea where to start looking. Then she saw his shirt laying off to one side of the room, and when she got to it she saw that it was the entry to a stairwell that took you to the lower levels of the yacht. His left shoe was at the bottom of the stairs.

After following the stairs and a passage that had branching off of it at least four bedrooms, a full gourmet kitchen, and a media room, she'd found his right shoe, his tie, and both of his socks, but no him. Then she a pair of purple silk boxers hanging off a closed cabin door... and she smiled. She opened the door slowly, and her eyes widened fractionally at the sight of him, sprawled across a huge bed, naked but for a tenting sheet that covered his lower half. She had been about to make a teasing comment but the heat in his gaze made her mouth go dry.

"You're over dressed..." He murmured as he sat up, his legs swinging over the side of the bed.

"So I am..." Reaching behind her, her fingers found the zipper to her dress.

As her dress slipped off her body to pool at her feet and she stood before him in barely hints of lace, she realized she didn't feel shy. Even around Nate, who'd been the only boy to ever see her naked, and who had seen her that was many times, she still felt shy. Now? In front of this boy and his hungry gaze? She felt worshipped. Empowered. So much so that she didn't even hesitate to remove her last coverings and stand before him in the dimly lit room in nothing. She was fascinated at seeing the way his pupils dilated as his eyes devoured ever inch of her naked body, of how he swallowed repeatedly, and of how, if possible, the tent under the thin sheet grew more pronounced.

She launched herself at him. He caught her and they rolled back onto the bed. His hands were everywhere. Her lips sought his skin. His mouth. Whatever they could reach. It was intense and it crackled between them, so much so that they both knew this first time would be fast and desperate, and they both wanted it so bad they were nearly out of their minds. He reached into his bedside table and pulled out a condom, momentarily shifting his full attention from her to the imperative task at hand. In those seconds, Blair still didn't have any doubts, she wanted him, she just... wanted to make thing clear for both of them.

"I should tell you..." She searched for the words.

"Are you trying... to tell me you're... a virgin." It wasn't a question and it was clear that he thought the notion of her even pretending to be one was absurd. Taking the idea that there was no way she could be untouched as an insult rather than the complement he'd obscurely intended, she frowned and slapped his bare arm. He flinched but kissed her, rolling her under him and pressing her into the mattress with his weight.

"No, I'm not a virgin-"

"I bet you're as tight as one..." He growled into her ear before he bit the lobe.

Her breath caught in her throat at his word of interruption and the sensory overload, but she continued. "I'm not a virgin... but this isn't a usual occurrence for me. I hav- I had a boyfriend back in New York. We've been together forever... I've only ever been with him." She wanted to make it clear to him.

Chuck nodded, understanding. He'd been with a lot of girls... and women. He knew the ones that were habitually short term and liked it that way, and he knew the ones that were relationship girls. He'd read her early on. This was a relationship girl who was taking a time out from who she usually was. She wanted him. He wanted her. As he looked down into her dark brown eyes he knew he didn't want this to just be a tonight encounter. He somehow knew that even after they had sex... he was still going to want more of her. For the habitually short-termed guy that he was, he thought that would scare him, but... it didn't. It felt... right.

He kissed her. He he had sex with her, the first with the expected urgency, the second with greater and more fulfilling exploration and they were left exhausted but more sated then either had ever been in their lives. They lay still for long minutes.

Something in her melted at the way he squeezed her tighter for a fraction of a second before letting her go and getting up from the bed. Feeling the cooler air move across her damp chest she pulled a pillow to her as she rolled onto her belly, watching him walk across the room. She'd never seen so much hair on a boy before. To be honest she'd only ever seen Nate naked, and even then he didn't walk around the way Chuck did. Chuck walked like he was totally and wholly comfortable in his skin which was evident in is sauntering gate... and the sensual intensity that seemed to come from inside of him naturally.

He stood at the small bar and glanced over his shoulder at her. "Do you want a drink?"

He smiled at the blush that spread over her cheeks at having been caught looking at his body. She shook her head, "No" and tucked in back against the pillow, rubbing her face into the down and hoping her skin would relax before he came back to the bed. She thought for a moment about his offered drink, and knew why she'd turned it down. Not because she had an aversion to sharing a drink with him, but because she wanted to feel and remember every moment of their short time together. She knew in her bones that when she was shriveled and ninety years old on her deathbed, this time would be in her head.

As the came back to sit on the bed, she turned her head to look up at him. She noticed he'd brought her a glass of water anyway. He smiled. "I would hate for you to get dehydrated..."

"Such a gentleman..." She rolled her eyes.

She shut them again under his intense gaze. She hear the clink of ice in his glass and thought he was taking a sip. At the first touch of the ice on her skin she gasped and jerked in shock... but it was followed with a sigh when he leaned in and traced the cold line with his tongue.

Blair woke up to the morning after her first, and most likely only, one night stand, and curiously didn't feel any regret. She lay there in his arms and listened to his heart beat under her ear. She rubbed her cheek ever so slightly in the hair on his chest before peeling herself away. As quietly as she could she crawled out of the bed and slipped on her dress, glad that she'd forgone crinoline for the summer because no boy could sleep through that noise. She crept to the door and couldn't resist a last look at him. He was beautiful. She had the greatest sense of longing she'd ever experienced in her life, and it took her Waldorf sense of will to make her walk out the door and follow the trail of his clothing back up onto the deck. The first thought in her mind was getting her shoes and her eyes combed the deck, smiling when she found them and hurrying over to them. She picked them up and her brain moved on to thinking about the best plan for finding a cab back up on the road, so her mind didn't immediately compute what was in front and all around her. Open sea.

Her jaw dropped. Her shoes hit the deck, falling from listless fingers.

"Surprise..."

She whirled around at the seductive voice behind her. Chuck stood, leaning against the cabin door jam in a black silk robe.

"Where... I just... I... the land... What?" She stammered.

His eyes lit up as if her reaction had been everything he'd hoped for since the moment he told the captain to take the yacht out on the Mediterranean. "Hmm...?" He attempted feigned innocence. "I'm sorry... I didn't catch that?"

"Serial killer!"

"I would think you would have found out that last night… when you were happily tied to my bed…"

Finding her voice she slashed out. "Kidnapper!"

"Hardly... you... boarded me," His eyes gleamed at the double entendre. "... of your own free will... I just felt like taking my yacht out for a run..."

Her eyes narrowed. "Well, take me back." With her chin up she commanded him. "Now."

"But it's such a lovely day..."

She glanced around at the dreary, overcast skies and raised a brow at him.

"Down in my cabin..." He amended.

She rolled her eyes and pulled her cell from her clutch." Storming over to the rail and hitting a speed dial she spoke quickly. "I seem to have been take hostage by Charles Bass."

"Given we have no reception... whoever are you talking to?" He tried to hide how much he was enjoying this. He knew she wanted to stay, but was fighting it. He'd just helped her along because he wanted her to stay about as much as she didn't want to leave. Then a thought popped into his head.

"You know my name?"

"Bass is written in foot high letters on the back and side of this boat, and unless you have excellent plastic surgeons or have found the fountain of youth... You're Bart Bass' son, Charles." She looked at her shoulder with a 'gotcha' look.

"So you know my name... And I prefer Chuck by the way..." He wiped the surprise from his face and replaced is with a confident smirk. "However did you keep yourself from screaming it out last night?"

"You weren't that good." She declared highly unconvincingly.

He rolled his eyes and sauntered over to join her at the railing. "I'll ignore that lie, Blair."

It was her turn to be caught off guard. He didn't wait for her to say anything. "Blair Cornelia Waldorf. Daughter of lawyer Harold Waldorf and fashion designer and CEO Eleanor Waldorf. Step-daughter to both Ramon and Cyrus. You attend Constance Billard, top of your class and student body president... and unofficial reigning Queen. Your best friend is Serena Van Der Woodsen, who I imagine was the rather wasted blonde at the club and by your side at the pool. Your boyfriend was Nate Archibald... until you two decided to 'see other people' for the summer... You head back to Manhattan in less than four days..."

Her eyes narrowed and she glared at him. He smiled wider. "I have an excellent PI..."

She turned and folded her arms across her chest. "You're ruining my first one-night stand."

After taking a moment to enjoying they way the fabric of her dress tightened over her chest, Chuck smiled at her indignation. "Good. Then let's really put it in the dirt..."

"Meaning?" She couldn't help but be intrigued by the innuendo in his tone.

"Meaning... You spend these days with me." He practically growled it into her ear as his hands found her hips to pull her closer.

"I can't..." She panted as his lips moved up her neck to suck at the skin just behind her ear.

"You can."

And as he pulled her into the cabin and onto a plush sofa, she honestly couldn't come up with any arguments to the contrary.

The next morning when Blair opened her eyes, she couldn't help the satisfied smile that curled her bruised lips. She felt like every muscle in her body was sated and lax. Her skin still felt damp from their shared bath of only a short time ago. She stretched and realized that for the first time in 24hrs he wasn't touching her. She pushed herself up on her elbows and looked around, shaking her, what she chose to call, her slightly tousled hair off her face. Not only the bed, but the room, was empty. She frowned for a moment but then she spotted the card on the bedside table that bore his embossed initials. Popping up onto her knees with a giddy smile, she snatched up the card.

_Meet me in the sun. -C_

She grabbed a robe he'd offered her last night and slipped it on to skip up on deck and walked until she found him. He sat out at a table at the stern of the ship, and he was sipping a glass of orange juice when he spotted her. The yacht was running a skeleton crew, but there was still a massive and well prepared spread laid out over the what table cloth. She slid along the banquette seating and accepted the piece of strawberry he'd speared on the end of his fork and held out to her. His eyes dilated as the watched some of the juice seep out from between her lips and spread like a stain. He couldn't resist kissing it away. Wordlessly they ate, stealing glances and touches. When they were done, they sat back, staring and smiling at each other like idiots.

"So what now?"

"Now... You look pale..."

She frowned at him and added a little pout. "It's called porcelain, and my skin is perfect."

He his a smile and shook his head. "Fine... then I'm pale... don't make me lie on the forward deck by myself..."

"You could die of loneliness..." She mused, wanting to cave.

"Exactly... be a charitable soul..."

"Very well." She conceded. "But I don't have a suit?"

She should have known he'd have ulterior motives. An hour later she could not believe what she was doing. If her mother could see her she knew she'd be disowned, hell she was half tempted to have herself committed... but it felt too damn good to do anything other than stretch in the sun. She and Chuck lay on plush towels that had been spread over a huge padded lounger at the front of the yacht. Out of sight of everyone but each other they sunbathed naked in the hot sun. Blair lay on her belly, her head tilted towards him as it rested on her folded arms. They'd greatly enjoyed coating each other in lotion, to the point where they had been on fire from more than the European heat. Chuck had been recouping on his back in nothing but a pair of shades, when he curled onto his side, propped himself up on an elbow, and looked down at her. Her eyes stayed closed, but a small smile curved her lips as she sensed his gaze. His strong, graceful hand spread over the curve of her ass, and he kept it there, squeezing one cheek once... then again. She pretended to ignore him, but they both knew her breathing picked up. He smiled as he leaned in to murmur in her ear. "If I kept my hand here... I would leave a print..."

"It's called sunblock, Bass. I won't be marred by your hand on my skin."

"Marred? Cherished... plus if I kept my hand here long enough... I could outlast your sun screen... I have excellent stamina..."

"I believe I could vouch for that..." She teased.

The sun was hot and she was feeling sticky for many reasons. It sent wild ideas through her brain. Feeling wicked and very un-Waldorf like, she stood, catching him off guard as she balanced on the railing for a second before diving cleanly into the sea.

"Blair!" He lurched to the railing, his heart in his throat.

He spotted her instantly in the turquoise waters just off the coast of Sardinia. She was treading water, her dark hair slicked back and trailing around her, her laughter echoing up at him. He was lost for a moment in her perfection. He sat on the edge happily watching her frolic, but refusing to join her, he hated what the ocean did to his hair, until he missed her in his arms.

"Arial, come out before you grow a tail."

She laughed and swam closer to the yacht. "Would you miss me? Would you try to find me if I swam away?"

"I'd miss you." He said so quietly that she wasn't sure she even heard him. "I'd look for you forever."

Her heart did something funny in her chest. She swam to the ladder and climbed back on board. He was waiting at the top of the ladder with a warm towel and his even warmer arms.

The next day she woke up expecting them to spend their last full day together like they had the past few, having mind-blowing sex, but he was ever one with surprises. They anchored off the coast of a small town of spectacular beauty. They spent the day exploring, shopping and eating... both were a little surprised that they enjoyed that almost as much as spending the day in bed. They talked about their families, his father distance father and deceased mother. She spoke fondly of all her parents, but confessed that they led busy lives. Under both stories they felt the same shared sense of loneliness. They talked about politics, him unsurprisingly fiscally conservative, and her staunchly liberal despite her Old Money status. As they walked they talked about places they'd been, or wanted to go. Chuck confessed to loving the Matrix and only had to stop her from walking away twice over it.

That night they lay on the deck again, but this time there was a large mattress covered in silks and cushions for them to sleep on under the stars. Chuck had promised that she'd make her flight, so tonight was their last night together.

She lay on her back looking up at the twinkling stars. They were never this bright in Manhattan, the lights of the city shone too bright to fully allow the stars their chance to shine. Chuck was curled against her side, his head on her chest as he enjoyed the feel of her fingers running through the hair at the nape of his neck.

"I don't want this to end." She said to herself as much as to him.

He lifted his head, saying nothing, but looking at her with an odd expression in his eyes.

"What are you going to do when you go back..." He asked intensely.

She reached up to rub the tips of her fingers in circles around his now furrowed brow. "I don't know... go home and put the final nail in the coffin of my relationship with my boyfriend?"

They hadn't talked about it, but that hadn't bothered her. These last few days had been a dream, so why mar it with thoughts of a boy who didn't want her, and who, at this moment, she couldn't remember wanting.

An odd look came over Chuck's face but he kissed her before she could place it. They fell asleep to the gentle rocking of the sea.

The next day, later than she'd planned, his car screeched up at the airport. She had precious little time to get through customs and board her flight, but maybe that was for the best. In these last few moments with Chuck she felt sick with the thought that this was over. As they got out of the car a porter urged her to hurry, but she clutched Chuck's lapels as he pulled away from their goodbye kiss.

She told herself to ignore the tears that brimmed her eyes, especially since he didn't seem quite as broken up about their parting as she was. But she realize it didn't really matter. These had been the greatest days of her life and she would treasure them always, despite her futile wish that they could have lasted longer... that her time with him could have been infinite.

"Goodbye, Bass."

"Have a good flight, Waldorf." He breathed with a light in his warm eyes.

She didn't have enough time to process that he hadn't said goodbye, because she was now racing to catch her flight. As her heels clicked against the halls, she had no idea that he'd had no intention of that being their final parting.

TahDAH! That was it. TLFD. I hope I didn't totally disappoint you all. I hope that it gave a sense of the connection the felt instantly and that continues to boil between them. Oh, and once again... I did not proof read.

So weird. Okay, yes, me and my moment. I was sitting in bed and taking a break from writing and was watching clips from the last GG episode. They've also started airing GG on FTV here in Canada and it was the first season and I had it on in the background. I was watching Chuck and Blair in the town car and Blair was saying "I love you. You're all I've ever wanted." and all the rest and I looked up and it was the Limo Scene. The beginning and it's current leave off point. What I love about this couple... is that it plays out how much they love each other. I can't even imagine that they wouldn't be endgame.


	7. Chapter 7

Hello! Did I mention I'm a huge Buffy fan? I haven't watched the musical episode in like... forever. I actually haven't watch the show in forever. I almost forgot Georgina was in it... She was so cute... and not at all evil. Kind of annoying at points, but not evil. My love for Xander lives on. Another thing that surprises me... I can sing the lyrics still. I heard that they have "Once More With Feelings..." Sing-A-Longs at like Comic Con? Would you all judge me if that went on my bucket list? PS-I hate that term. Okay, so this chapter picks up after Blair has told Serena about The Lost Four Days with Chuck. If you read it, yea! If you have chosen to wait and read it as the last chapter, yea! Either way you should be able to go into this chapter openly. Here we go...

Blair glanced up from filing her nails to see how Serena was doing. The same. She'd finished telling her tale of debauchery ten minutes ago and its ending had been met with stunned silence. At first she had waited, expecting Serena to close her mouth at any second and launch into whatever it was she wanted to say, but as the minutes ticked on, Blair got bored and had broken out her nail kit from her overnight bag. Given that S's jaw was still slack and her eyes still vacant, Blair held her hand out to examine her work, and then attacked a slightly uneven edge, as she continued to wait for Serena to pull it together.

She was just about to give up and go to sleep when the blonde finally moved shaking like a dog and then grabbing Blair by the shoulders. Blair flinched back and looked at Serena like she'd lost her mind. Serena looked deep into Blair's eyes.

"It is you in there isn't it? You weren't drugged... struck your head and had amnesia... kidnapped by aliens are replaced with a pod person?"

"I'm about three seconds from getting Lily have you committed... and your pajamas clash with your nail polish." Blair told her with haughty disdain.

"There's my girl." S smiled as she let go of Blair's shoulders.

Both girls fell back again the pillows and the room fell silent.

"If I haven't said 'oh, my god' in the last five minutes... forgive me. My brain exploded about ten minutes ago..." Serena finally said.

"You never really used it anyway." Blair mused in fane contemplation.

"Shut up!" Serena laughed and then stopped short. She sat up and looked down at her brunette friend. "You like him."

"Nate? My boyfriend? Yes, I like him." Blair played dumb.

"Chuck." Serena insisted, not letting her.

Blair sighed. "I don't know." But she did. However the word she'd use for Chuck... like wasn't it. Like wasn't strong enough.

"I do." Serena said knowingly.

"Yes, but as we've discussed... you're not very bright."

Serena just looked at her, eyebrows quirking.

Blair sighed again. "Fine. I like... the boy I met in Europe... but I don't know this new boy. I don't know... anything about him... who he is... what he wants..."

"I'm guessing what he wants is 5'4, 120lbs, and doe eyed..." Serena teased.

Blair frowned at her and pinched her thigh. "117.4!"

"Sorry! 117.4!"

"But, no. I still maintain that I have no idea what is going on in the mind of one Charles Bass."

"Do you want to find out?"

"I'm tired now." Blair declared as she rolled onto her side to start ignoring her friend.

"Fine, Cleopatra... But you should at least figure out what you want." Serena told her as she flicked off the light and lay down herself.

As Serena started snoring beside her, sleep alluded Blair. What did she want?, Blair asked herself this... and realized that for the first time in her whole life... she didn't like the answer that places other than her brain were telling her.

On Monday she sat at a table with Serena on one side of her and Nate on the other. She was used to this. She was even used to the way Nate's hand rested on her thigh and squeezed gently from time to time. She didn't feel anything with the touch, so made no protest. What she was unused to was the boy sitting across from her. His eyes seemed to drill into her and yet she was careful never to meet them head on. Those golden eyes saw too much.

Feeling claustrophobic she pushed Nate's hand off her leg and shrugged away from the table, standing with shaky legs.

"I have to go." She declared stumbling away and shoring up her steps to take back her Waldorf assured gait. By the time she'd reached the doors of the school she had the air of command back, so much so that two freshmen dived out of her way, while a sophomore nearly face planted into the glass in her efforts to open and hold the door for Constance's Queen.

Serena quickly excused herself to follow Blair, and left the two boys at the table watching them leave, one very much more confused than the other.

"Is she alright?" Chuck asked the boy who knew her better.

Luckily Nate was too distracted to notice the note in Chuck's voice that indicated how much he meant the question instead of just being polite. Nate turned back to face Chuck with a slight frown on his too pretty face. He needed someone to talk to. Nate had a million friends. He had always been that guy that everybody like... but he'd never had anyone to confide in... someone who didn't want anything he had. He liked Chuck and thought maybe he could be that friend.

Nate ran a hand through his hair and it looked even better than it had a second before. "Yeah... no... Maybe?"

"That's an answer..."

"It's just... I screwed up. At the end of the last school year... I've dated Blair forever... She was my first... I was hers... Actually, we've only ever been with each other." Nate shrugged at that fact, but he had a little smile on his face that hinted at him finding that romantic. "But I must have had early onset heatstroke... because I told her we should see other people over the summer."

"I'm sure that went over well..." Chuck smirked.

"Tell me about it." Nate smiled. "But... I think... it was for the best. It made me realize how much I love her and want to be with her. Forever."

Chuck tried to hide his frown, but it didn't really matter because Nate's attention had already turned as he looked over his shoulder to the direction Blair and Serena had went. "She's just... something at me right now." Nate reflected as he once again tried to figure out why Blair had been so distant with him since she got back. He knew she was probably still angry at him for the whole 'seeing other people thing' to begin with, but he couldn't help sensing there was something more. Or not? "We'll work it out... We always do..."

Nate cast a dazzling smile at Chuck as he got up to follow the girls. "Catch you later."

Chuck managed a tight smiled before his scowl returned as he watched the golden boy walk away.

That evening Blair stood at the edge of the Lacrosse field as she watched the boys' practice finish up. Nate had spotted her and he ran over with a sparkling grin on his face. "This is a surprise!"

Blair managed a smile and tried for her old self. "A good one I hope?"

"Always." He said and he leaned in and tried to kiss her lips.

She tilted her chin so he got her cheek. Her nose wrinkled. "You're sweaty..."

"Sorry." He apologized. He kept smiling because he liked looking at her and it seemed like it had been forever since she'd been the one to seek him out. "Can you wait while I shower?"

"I'll be in the courtyard." She promised.

And she was. When he came out, fresh and clean, from the school she was sitting on a bench, alone in the courtyard. He joined her on the bench.

Across the street Chuck sat in his limo, scotch in hand, and brooding the likes of which he'd never experienced... and he was naturally broody. He'd been watching her sit alone on the bench for almost half an hour and hadn't been able to give his driver, Arthur, the command to drive away. He loved looking at her. Her skin was still tanned from the sun that had kissed both their skin. He wanted to kiss her skin again. Her hair was still light from the summer and he pondered whether it would darken naturally with the winter or if she would help it. His eyes lingered on her ankles that were carefully crossed and her knees that were held tightly together with her small, soft hands folded gently on top.

He finished his drink in one quick swallow and poured two more fingers into his glass without looking and without spilling a drop. His eyes stayed on her. He'd been angry at her since he'd been waiting at the airport like a lovesick fool, peonies in hand, only to witness her fall into the arms of her... boyfriend.

He saw said boyfriend join her on the bench now, and Chuck's jaw twitched as he clenched it.

He knew they'd made no promises to each other... but she had to have felt their connection. He knew he couldn't have been alone in that because it had been too intense. Too real. So he had watched her. And in doing so had learned... she wasn't as happy as she thought she'd be. Chuck took that as a good sign, because while she could lie to herself, he couldn't do the same. He wanted her. He wanted to be with her.

It was as he was reflecting on this that he saw the couple on the bench go from deep conversation... to an ever escalating fight. The first thing he noticed was Nate's body language, he tensed. Then his face contorted as he stood, arms flailing. At first Blair looked sad... contrite, but whatever Nate was saying clearly didn't sit well with her. A scowl spread across her face as she too stood. There were clearly angry words flying back and forth between the two and Chuck wished he could hear them.

It ended with Blair stomping her foot, knocking Nate's school books out of his hands and storming away. Chuck wanted to follow her but he knew who he'd get the most answers from. He got out of the limo and forced himself to saunter towards a kneeling Nathaniel, who was angrily trying to pick up his dropped school books and papers but mostly managing to drop them over and over again.

"Nathaniel... might I suggest grasping and clasping the papers? I hear it helps to pick things up..."

In agitation Nate threw his barely collected things on the ground. Chuck, ever good at playing calm, stayed still to read every emotion, to gain every ounce of information into what had just happened that he could.

"She slept with someone else! She fucking slept with someone else!" Nate started rapidly pacing and then, much to Chuck's surprise given that he hadn't thought the other boy had that much anger in him, he punched a wall. Even Chuck flinched at that one.

"How awful..." Chuck commented drolly. He looked sedate, but inside he was relaxing and tensing like exercising an inner muscle. So Nate knew... but clearly Blair hadn't revealed who the other guy had been given that the wall had received the punch rather than Chuck's perfect jaw. He didn't know if he should be happy about that or not.

"She's Blair... she doesn't just... she would never... I can't believe she did..." Nate was nearly incoherent. "Fuck!" Nate yelled as he grabbed the last of his papers and stormed away without another word to Chuck.

Blair sat on her bench looking over the duck pond. So this is how losing your mind felt?, she mused to herself. He'd been so angry... and she... hadn't felt anything... until he'd lost it and started getting all sanctimonious, which is around the time she started getting angry. It had been his idea to see other people, she'd just been the only one of the two of them to actually do it. He really hadn't liked the part when she said she didn't regret it. The light was starting to dip behind the buildings that bordered the park, casting long shadows before the sun could ever think to set, but still it grew cooler.

She stood and started to walk back through the park, across the street, to the sidewalk that would bring her to her home. She gave in to fatigue and leaned against the wall as she rode the elevator up to her penthouse, and wearily called out to her Dorota when the door slid open. "I need macarons... and keep them coming!"

It was as she tossed her coat on the table that she remembered it was her maid's night off and her eyes shut with a put upon whimper. "Why have tho forsaken me..." Just for this she knew she was going to be stepping on strawberries throughout various parts of the house for at least three days for her Dorota to have to deal with. Luckily she'd been not so passive aggressively doing this since she was six years old, so Dorota would get the message... and had gotten amazingly good at removing strawberry stains from almost every surface.

Her mother and step-father, Cyrus, were in Paris so she knew if she wanted anything to eat she'd have to either make it herself, not a pleasant idea, or order out. She was to tired to deal with ordering and then waiting for delivery. In this moment bed was definitely winning out over food, so with feet that felt like they weighted a million pounds each, she trudged up the stairs to her room, trying to remember if she still had a box from the Godiva Gold collection somewhere in her room.

The good news is, she did. The bad news was that Chuck Bass was laying across her bed eating them.

"Good night?" He asked, still lax on her bed as he popped another chocolate into his mouth.

"Get out of my bed." She bit out, ignoring him as she sat at her vanity to pull the shoes from her feet. Her mind didn't even think to question how he'd gotten in here. Money got you far in this city. "And stop eating my chocolate."

"Only children need to learn how to share." Chuck said with only the slightest mumble given the softly melting chocolate that was firmly tucked in one of his cheeks.

Blair hadn't felt this exhausted in a long time. It had been a long day, and she was feeling oddly free, but like she could shut her eyes and sleep for a week. She wanted nothing more than to sink into her bed, and not even him being in it could stop her. If she weren't so tired she wouldn't have been able to ignore how comforting it was to have him there. She grabbed a chocolate before flopping down into the deep warmth of her silken duvet.

"You're an only child." She pointed out before shoving the candy into her mouth. She shut her eyes in bliss as it rolled over her tongue, coating it in tasty goodness.

Chuck's pupils dilated as he watched her reaction. He cleared his throat before he managed a comeback. "Not so. I believe you've met my siblings, Eric... and what's the other one again? Ah, yes. Selena."

"You're very funny." She said sarcastically. "But using your logic then I'm not an only child either. His name is Aaron. He's an artist and he's pretentious. You can imagine how well we get along."

Chuck smiled slightly, but he hadn't come here for chitchat. "So... I really must know... How is confession for the soul?"

"Why do you know everything?"

"Why do you?" He asked right back as he rolled onto his side.

"I don't know what you're doing here." She pointed out as she rolled onto hers.

They lay beside each other, the width of one box of candy apart. Their eyes were locked and the smell of chocolate and want heated and filled the air between them. They'd hardly spoken since he'd arrived in Manhattan. She'd avoid him because, as was evident in the kitchen, there was a pull between them. Right from the start. And now, here he was. In her bed. Smelling like chocolate, scotch and Chuck Bass. She wiggled closer till the box of candy between them bit into her stomach. She practically hurled it across the room. He shifted into the space. They were so close. They wanted to be closer. It felt like too much of her energy recently had been expended in trying to stay way from him.

She bridged the tiny distance between them first and gently kissed his lips. From just that small contact she felt like she was on fire. She wanted more. She wanted all of him. He pulled back a fraction, and she nearly whimpered, but his golden eyes drilled into hers as he whispered, "Are you sure?". Her answer was to kiss him with all the passion she had for him. She didn't hesitate after that and neither did he.

TahDAH! Alright, I'm going to try not to confuse anyone as we go. If I start not explaining characters or motivations enough, feel free to let me know. I hope you liked this chapter! Oh, and I should mention that Nate is probably going to be the most out of character I've ever gone with a GG fanfic. Fingers crossed that it will read well for all of you.

Okay so I really like this song I keep hearing... from a McDonald's commercial. WTF? You know that ad where the couple are moving into a new home and he makes a Christmas tree out of boxes and then they eat McDonalds. If any of you lovely readers know the name and artist... I would adore your for telling me.


	8. Chapter 8

Hello! I think I'm gonna hurl. I have over dosed on Hersey Kisses. I just keep telling myself to not puke on Gloria. She's too expensive. Candy season needs to end. It is murder on my waist. Who am I kidding? It's sweater weather. Hello, belly. We need to say goodbye by the time spring and summer dress season comes around. Oh, and I also have no tan left. I'm one of the pastiest humans on the planet, and not in that ivory way. In the way that if a wind blows on me I turn pink. I would climb my ass up in a tanning bed if I wasn't trying to avoid, you know, skin cancer. Anyways, I have to go. Work likes it when I don't fall asleep at the front desk. I need a new job. I hope you enjoy this little chapter. Here we go...

The dream was the same... and it was wonderful. She was back on the yacht with Chuck, his arms were warm around her and at this moment she couldn't tell her legs from his they were so intertwined. She moved her head, rubbing into the hair that covered his warm chest. The scent of sex lingered all around them and the bubble of sated warmth they had created. She barely registered that she couldn't feel the soft rocking of the boat.

Bing!

She frowned slightly in her sleep and snuggled deeper into his arms. She could clearly place the bing as the sound her elevator made when someone had arrived at her penthouse. It seemed odd because, while large, Chuck's yacht didn't have an elevator.

Then she heard the words that had her sitting bolt upright in bed.

"Ms. Blair! Mr. Nate for you!"

"This could get awkward..." A deep voice, made even huskier by sleep commented at her side.

Her eyes swung to him. Her jaw dropped as she realized it hadn't been a dream. As she watched him stretch, hairy and naked in her bed, the events of last night flew through her mind in pornographic detail. She blushed three shades of red. She blushed even more when she realized the duvet that was slung low to his hip bones... wasn't covering her at all, and she was sitting there, naked, in front of his hungry eyes. And her boyfriend... ex-boy friend, was downstairs.

She snatched the cover up over her chest, and he smirked in amusement. "A little late for that don't you think..."

She scowled at him. "Shut up!"

Blair struggled up from the bed, pulling the cover with her and wrapping it around herself. No need to put on more of a show than she already had. This action however left Chuck completely exposed. He didn't seem to mind putting on a show and stretched across her sheets like a cat, showing off every relaxed part of him... and one part of him that was clearly the opposite of relaxed. It bobbed at attention and her mouth flooded with saliva. Like a nymph he smiled at her and rolled over onto his side. He looked at her with a raised brow as if asking 'now what?'.

She threw the blanket at his head and then streaked into her closet. She came out moments later in a hastily thrown together 'I just woke up from sleeping, only sleeping, by myself, all night' outfit, of a chaste nightgown, silk robe, and a black bowed headband that kept her hair looking more sleep tousled than sex-waved.

"Humph." Chuck commented like a five year old. "I prefer your previous look better. Naked suits you..."

"Stay here. Don't move."

He rolled onto his belly and the blanket slipped off his perfect ass. Blair swallowed hard. "Wouldn't dream of it, kitten." There was a twinkle in his eye as he gave her a contemplative look. "Do you think he'll be able to smell the sex on you? ... because I can from here..."

She shut her eyes and counted to ten. She walked out without another word and stomped down the stairs to the foyer. She expected Nate to be standing there with a box of her things, but instead she found him sitting on her mother's sofa with a contrite expression.

"Nate." She greeted coolly. "What are you doing here?"

She was about to say more when he spoke rapidly and first.

"Blair, I was wrong."

"What?" Her jaw fell open. Nate usually only said he was wrong when she nagged him into doing so.

"I said we should see other people... and then yesterday, when you were so honest with me... I lost it. And I'm sorry."

"What?" Blair Waldorf was flummoxed.

"When I heard you'd done it... been with some other guy-" She could hear the distaste in his voice, but it was replaced by a begging note for forgiveness. "I was angry, but I shouldn't be. It was my fault. I pushed you into it... it most have been awful for you, because I know you're not that kind of girl."

"What?" A part of her brain was screaming at her that she really had to come up with something other to say than 'what', but the shock was making nothing else come to mind.

"I just wanted to come here today and make it clear that there's nothing for me to forgive you for, but I hope... that you can forgive me." His big blue eyes beseeched her.

"Huh?" Ha! Better than 'what' for the moment.

"I'm asking for your forgiveness."

"Uh huh." She nodded, trying to buy herself time to get her brain to start working. She appeared to have her... ex-and yet current boyfriend in front of her and her naked... whatever it was Chuck was, upstairs in her bed. All that was going through her head was that Nate had no idea what kind of girl she was, and she was beginning to think she didn't know that answer either. As her mind was racing, it flipped completely out as he dropped to one knee.

"I'm asking for your forgiveness and I'm making a promise to your right here and now. I will never ask for space again. I don't want it." He pulled his grandmother's ring out from his pocket, the one his own mother had worn for years, and presented it to her. "You and me forever."

Her brain was screaming now. Her fingers had itched for that ring for years! Years! She'd imagined what it would be like when he gave it to her, when she put it on, when she planned a future with the boy she'd thought she'd always loved, that she'd thought she would always love.

It was not how she expected it to be. Alarms were going off in her head, but not in a good way. She couldn't hear herself think. She needed time. She went into Blair mode and her instincts took care of the rest.

"Nate..." She willed tears into her eyes. "I can't accept this... not now."

"Blair-"

"You really hurt me this summer." This part was not a lie. "And I'm still not over it." Okay so this part was.

"I'm truly sorry, sweetheart." Nate stood up to grab her hands.

She shook her head. "I can't take that ring... right now. In fact... Nate, I need some time... To process everything... I need some time apart from us."

"Blair, no! We should be together! Work this out!" He said earnestly.

"Nate, please do this for me!" There was a desperation in her eyes and this wasn't fully a lie. She needed space from him to figure herself out. She'd kept her distance from him since her return and had pushed down her reasons for that. Was it because she was still angry with him? On the surface she wanted to say yes, that was the only reason... but deep down she knew there was more. Her heart was telling her there was another reason she couldn't bring herself to recommit to Nate.

Nate, ever the gentleman, looked at her with sad eyes. "I understand. I'll give you your space... but know... that you're the only one for me. I love you, Blair."

She managed a nod.

"I'll go for now... but know I'll be waiting." He pressed the ring into her hand and kissed her cheek.

Blair watched him go and thought she was going to pass out. She looked down into her hand and was thrown off even more to see the Vanderbilt diamond ring resting in her palm. When had she taken that? In a daze she wondered upstairs, her mind still spinning, her eyes still locked on the ring that burned her hand. When she walked into her room she came up short. Chuck was still sprawled in her bed, only now he was wearing another of her robes, it was too short on his arms and didn't close properly, but he still looked sexy as hell. He contemplated her from his recline against her silk pillows.

"Well... that was an interesting turn of events..." He drawled with narrowed eyes.

"You were listening!" She accused.

"I've always been a fan of the soap opera... how could I resist this?"

She hated his smarmy tone and scowled at him. "You think I like this?"

"I think..." He said slowly as his head lulled on the pillow. "That you were taking the easy way out..."

"Easy!" She snapped. "Clearly your backwoods boarding school education has effected your vocabulary. None of that was easy. None of this is easy."

"From my experience... easy seems to be an apt description of you..." He cut her off before she could kill him for that remark. He got up from her bed and dropped the robe to start to dress as he spoke to her. "However, I digress. You thought you'd tell sweet Nathaniel that you'd slept with someone else and he'd breakup with you. This way you never had to make the difficult call of ending it yourself. But now? Here he is, making the call yours... and you couldn't do it. It could have all been over three minutes ago, but you couldn't do it... You played the coward in your own life..."

"You don't know me." She said indignantly.

"I wouldn't bet on that, Kitten. But I would wager that your head is telling you you don't know what you want."

"There's where you're wrong. I know exactly what I want. I want you to get out of my house!" She nearly shouted with foot stomping emphasis.

"Done." He bit out as he finished dressing. He'd kept his voice calm for the majority of this conversation, but he was furious with her. She'd had every opportunity to completely free herself from Nate, but she just kept biding her time. Her indecision made him want to hurt her as much as this was hurting him.

Maybe she could see that malicious spark in his eyes, because she paused in her own anger to give him a steely glare.

"What are you going to do?"

"Now that's the most interesting question of the morning... I guess you'll just have to wait and see..."

"Haven't you heard? What happens in Europe, stays in Europe."

"That's Vegas... and last night we were most definitely in Manhattan proper. I'm thinking about sending a tip to that lovely gossip site that seems to hold this school by the balls."

"You would out me?" She gasped.

"I think you'd look delectable with a scarlet letter across that sweet little chest of yours." He mused as he gazed at her and her chest for a moment.

"I'll hate you if you do." She vowed.

He snorted as he started to walk away. "I guess I'll just have to think about if I could live with that. Now if you'll excuse me I have to go home and wash the scent of bitch off my body."

He left to the sound of her antique hand mirror shattering off the wall of her room.

TahDah! Okay, so I know this was kind of short, even for me, but I wrote it last night and this point feels like the natural end for the chapter. I kind of have the next chapter floating around already in my head... so you might not be waiting long for more. If you want more? Forgive me? I swear my plans for tomorrow centre around a Skype session with my best friend and her awesome toddler, and shopping for a sparkly NYE dress. This shall leave me more than enough time to write.

Big love to all my fellow Buffy fans. FYI... While I didn't HATE Buffy and Spike... I always hoped for a different pairing. I've always thought you'd be the luckiest person in the world if you were able to fall in love with someone who was also a best friend. I've rooted for Buffy and Xander from the beginning. I know! I know! I was crazy, but I still dream...

And a HUGE THANK YOU to scarlett2u! That was EXACTLY the song I wanted. Thanks so much. Don't hate me too much for not being a big Spike and Buffy fan. I think I never really got around him trying to rape her on the bathroom floor.


	9. Chapter 9

Hello! I think I need to go back to school. I ambush academics as soon as I find them. I miss the learning and debate. Do you know what else I miss? Chuck and Blair! Oh, and I just got Skype recently... Is anyone else thrown off by the bubble noises that let you know when contacts come online. I swear it scares the crap out of me every time! I'm like looking around thinking "what the hell is that?" for a good 30 seconds before I realize what it is. Here we go...

Blair sat on the bench, and sipped from the straw in her water bottle as she scowled at the current pain in her ass. Chuck Bass. He was always right in his face. With some girl... or a dozen others. At his moment he was strategically across the quad with her with a sophomore blonde. He was holding a lock of her hair, and brought it to his lips to kiss it. Blair hoped he'd choke on it.

She took another sip, and vaguely began go register that the minions around her were chattering about something she should probably care about more than imagining ways in which to cut Chuck's favourite part off.

"Blair!" Penelope snapped.

"What?"

"The party?" Penelope said drolly.

"What party?" Blair played coy as the Queen was meant to do. Obviously she knew what party. The only party that mattered this Friday night. His party. She rolled her eyes at the dumb expressions that surrounded and looked up at her. Tired of them all she stood up, and began to take a few steps and she knew they were still hanging on her every action so she paused as if that's the only time she could afford their petty needs and didn't even look back at them. "I'll be wearing my new black Dior. Dorota has has my accessory details. That will be all."

She walked away to the sound of thumbs furiously texting her maid. As the Queen of the school she dictated the code. No one wore what she wore, when she wore it or for a full month after, so each girl was invested in what Blair would be wearing to the party. They also needed the details so they could plan their outfits accordingly. They couldn't wear what she wore, but as her minions they had to coordinate their outfits in deference to their Queen or else how would anyone know they were Blair Waldorf's?

As she walked away she passed Chuck and his clinger. She made a point to make a brief eye contact before looking away with an air of disdain. She could let him know it bothered her to see him with another girl. No not acknowledge him would be to tip her hand. She had too much pride for that.

Blair clicked into the bathroom and with a flick of her head the girls who were there cleared out. Finally alone she opened her purse and started to touch up her makeup, always feeling better when her perfections was polished and her mask was in place.

With the creek of the bathroom door, her eyes darted across the mirror, ready to flay the intruder with a glare, but she stopped when Serena's head popped into the room.

"Don't shoot." The blonde teased. "I'm unarmed."

Blair rolled her eyes but said nothing as she moved on to adjusting her hair. Serena came in and pulled herself up onto the sink to sit beside Blair's image. Her head lulled back against the glass as she contemplated her best friend.

"You know... You've Freaky Friday'd us."

"Am I supposed to follow this conversational starter?"

"It used to be me who cause all the boy drama around here... and you done stole ma crown!" She finished the last if a very pour southern accent.

With anyone else Blair would have cut them apart, but Serena's scrunched up face and shaking fist... Blair couldn't stop the giggle that broke out and after she pulled it together, she scowled.

"I hate it when you do that." Blair told her deadpan. She liked her cool exterior and how annoying was it when your best friend knew how to get under it? So annoying.

Serena smiled, her little Ice Queen hated that Serena knew so many of her buttons... and how to disarm them. Grabbing her into a bear hug, Serena shook her tight. "I know! But you love me anyway!"

"My hair!" Blair screeched, and yanked a lock of blonde to get herself released.

Serena just laughed and let go to lean back again. She was silent and waited.

After re-fixing her dark curls and adjusting the red bowed headband in her hair, her eyes stayed locked on her own image.

"I bet Elizabeth I never had this problem." Blair bemoaned.

"The Virgin Queen? You're probably right on that one, but I bet it's because she kept her knees a little better locked than Constance's Queen lately..."

Blair gasped and hit Serena's knee, but fell back into deep thought quickly. A plan started forming in her head. "You may have a point, S."

"Of course I do... What is it?" Serena looked confused.

"Boys are complicating my reign. This is Senior year, and I have too much to do to deal with all the drama Kings in my life. I need to focus. My Constance Legacy. Prom. Graduation. Yale. It's my future. Boys can wait."

Serena nodded supportively. "Here, here!" Then she got a weary look on her face. "You don't mean for me to join you in you little vow of celibacy do you?"

Blair fixed her with an incredulous look. "I believe we tried that pact when we were 13. You barely made it through Freshman year."

Serena smiled and shrugged before changing the subject. "So... you're not going to his party?"

Blair looked at her like she'd lost her mind. "Of course I'm going! Everyone is going. I have to go."

Serena smirked a little. "Plus you want to go..."

"I do not!" Blair snapped. She'd been irrationally angry ever since her last exchanged with the ass, and she most certainly didn't want to go to his gauche party, which she'd said repeatedly to his step-sister. However, the fact that it was rumoured to be the biggest party of the season... made it unmissable. It had nothing to do with the host.

Finished with her hair and finished with this conversation, Blair turned on the taps, washed her hands, and then pressed her finger to the spout, sending a stream of water at her friend. She laughed and ran before retaliation could be had.

Four nights later her limo pulled up at the club where the party was being held. Victrola. It was a burlesque club. Of course it was. Rumour had it that he owned it. Of course he did.

Her minions stood, shivering in the cool fall night air as they waited for her to arrive. They looked miserable. She had the driver wait another five minutes before he came around to open the door for her, at which point Blair Waldorf alighted from the car from the car in all her tight, black clad perfection. Never let it be said that she didn't have an outfit for everything. She was burlesque-chic and dressed to kill. If tonight was about putting on a show, she was dressed to perform.

The minions' jaws dropped. Her hair was a mass of curls piled high and adorned with long sloping feathers. The black velvet of her dress hugged her curves but stopped at the tops of her thighs and showed off her Falke stockings, but more so the perfect curves of her legs. Her arms wore long silk gloves, and a cuff of diamonds hugged one wrist. They weren't alone as diamonds also gathered and drifted over her neck and collar bones.

"B, you look amazing!" Said a new convert.

"I know." Blair sighed as if bored. Blair looked the club up and down again. She knew he was in there. She wondered what he was doing... who he was doing.

"He's not in there."

"What?" Blair was brought up short by Penelope's words, and less so by her tone of disdain.

"Nate." Penelope clarified. "He's not here yet."

Of course. Nate. Her maybe-off-again boyfriend. Of course that's exactly who Blair was thinking of then. Of course...

"Thank you, Penelope. What would I or your stalker tribute wall do without you?"

Penelope flushed crimson at the reminder of her wall at home that was dedicated to all things Nate Archibald. Blair had found it when they were in seventh grade, exactly a week before she herself had started dating him, and she never let Penelope forget it.

"I'm freezing. Are we going in or is my Prada going to be donated posthumously to my maid's daughter?"

"I could have sworn that the Queen would decide the timing..."

"You do." Iz was quick to concur. She was freezing her ass off and wanted out of this conversation and into a club brimming with booze and colligate boys.

"I thought so..." Blair took her time musing before looking down her nose at Penelope. "And what seems to be not computing in your brain? Did you fall on your head again or was it just a flashback to when you mother dropped you?"

Penelope's face was sour, but she held her tongue. Blair's point was made.

After waiting till her minions were solely focused on her she made them hang on her every breath for another full three minutes before speaking.

"Let's go." She regally declared.

The grateful minions followed her into the pulsing club.

Serena had already arrived... and gotten into the champagne and was soon dragging her friend onto the dance floor. It was two hours before their host arrived with a bevy of blondes... one of which was Nathaniel Archibald. Chuck caught her eye from across the club where he'd just tumbled into a booth, and raised a glass of scotch to her. Blair scowled. What game was he playing?

As the night wore on she dispatched her minions in games of Truth or Dare until they were so tipsy as to make the challenges a waste of Blair's time and energy, and so she released them to the throngs that crammed and moved in waved to the beat of the club's drum. For Blair herself she deflected Nate no less than three times before his level of intoxication kept him away for the rest of the evening... because he passed out in Chuck's booth which was three over from hers.

Serena had found a poet she'd crushed on in middle school and had followed him to the bar. Blair watched her flirt and raised a brow at her technique, which was different than Blair's.

All night she surveyed everything. Kati and Iz sandwiching a lacrosse player to the music of Usher. Got tips and news from everyone. Hazel disappearing into a bathroom stall with who she thought was a senior at York, but who was really a busboy at TGIFridays. She knew exactly what was unfolding with everyone there as it happened... but only one person actually held her interest.

He sat in his booth for most of the night, and even though it was his party, very few approached him. She thought on this as she watched him watch the people and nurse his many drinks. Chuck intimidated... gave off an aura of dark energy that people found hard to approach unless they knew what they wanted from him. Very few actually wanted to know him... the real him.

Blair figured she should stop drinking because for a moment her treacherous mind had whispered that she did. She'd known the real him for four days this summer. She knew she should stop drinking when she saw him rise from the booth and walk to the far side of the club... and her own body rose to follow him.

On light feet she followed him down a darkened hallway where only one or two couples lingered, making out and more against walls and tucked into corners. The bathrooms were on the other side of the club, so it wasn't surprising that this hall had fallen to a different use. She saw him slip into one of several doors that led off of the space, and almost against her will she slipped in after him.

As the door shut behind her it was as it it shut out the rest of the world. They were in a small back room deep red velvet curtains that hung around sofas that were more like bedding than seating. The deep reds of the room seemed to only emphasize the dark beauty of the couple that stood in it. With the music now a muffled thrumming in the background it felt like she'd momentarily lost her hearing. This room... this atmosphere... it was a callback to another night. A first night that was still burned in both of their minds... and souls... and regions they would not yet acknowledge.

Chuck stood with his back to her, and yet she could almost feel the tension coming off him in waves. He could have been made out of stone, but he was fluid as water as he turned to look at her, his face blank but his eyes on fire.

Those eyes... those gorgeous golden brown eyes, slid over her as if she wore nothing.

She struggled to find her voice. "Were you expecting a leggy, blonde kick-line?"

"Were you coming here to dally with your boyfriend?" He bit out.

"I don't have a boyfriend." She declared.

They were edging closer. Pulled.

"Ah, yes. You need space." He mused cruelly.

"From him, yes. For now... maybe for always. We'll see..." She taunted him.

She could feel his breath on her cheeks. She couldn't look away from his eyes.

"So you don't know what you want..." His hands latched onto her hips and clasped them tight against his own.

"It's my prerogative..." She teased with a gasp at the hot contact. "Maybe I do know what I want... right now at least."

"Tell me..." He whispered as he leaned in to catch her bottom lip between his teeth.

He bit gently and then sucked the sting away. She gasped and clutched at his neck. "You!"

"Come again...?" His hands moved over her body.

"I want you!"

Serena stood in the dark hallways, her night having turned out not as she'd planned. She'd been happily making out with some boy who had quoted Poe to her years ago, when her eyes had drifted open and she'd caught a glance of her step-brother drifting down the hall, every so often looking over his shoulder, as if waiting for someone to catchup. She would have ignored him, thinking maybe some piece he'd been flirting with had taken the bate. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately with a myriad of girls.

Serena was becoming so accustomed to it that she almost closed her eyes to get back with the kissing... when she saw who had just appeared at the opening of the hall. Framed by the light of the club she was unmistakeable.

Blair Waldorf was slinking after Chuck Bass.

So much for abstinence, Serena thought... well, at least for Blair. What was most likely happening in that back room was enough to kill her mood, so she dispatched with the boy and moved down the hall to take up sentry duty near the door. She knew Blair wouldn't like an audience, but didn't seem to have the will power to prevent the risk of a show. Serena didn't want her to get hurt, so she guarded the door, hoping she was far enough away and the music was so loud that she wouldn't be forced to hear anything.

She was holding a lock of her hair and inspecting for split ends when Nate suddenly stumbled into her side.

"Serena!" He grabbed her shoulders, more to steady his drunk self than anything else. "Where is she?"

"Who?" S played dumb well.

"Blair!" His eyes glazed over and for one awkward moment it looked like he was going to start to cry.

It was right about then that Serena heard a very distinctive, rhythmic thumping against the closed door not too far away. Serena cringed. Nate raised an eyebrow.

"Someone's getting laid." He mused and a dopey drunk smile curved his lips.

Serena looked like a doe caught in the headlights of an 18-wheeler, but she managed a very fake sounding laugh, and started shoving him playfully down the hall. "Must be. Blair left for the night a while ago... you know how she hates till dawn bashes. Havoc on her beauty sleep... Let's get you in a car and home yourself."

By the time Serena got him into a cab and was headed back through the club, it was just in time to pass a flushed Blair who waved at her quickly before ducking out of the club and into a waiting car. Scanning the club Serena could now see a disheveled Chuck coming out of the back hall and straightening his hair before going right to the bar and tossing back two drinks in quick repetition.

Taking out her phone Serena texted her best friend.

"_Chastity?"_

Her phone buzzed with a reply mere seconds later.

"_Shut up."_

TahDAH! Okay so this was not the original ending to this chapter, but I felt like... it as getting a little too long. I broke it here, but I still have a big chunk of the next chapter now done, so you won't have to wait to long for it.

Do you ever read a book and have a part stick with you? I'm read the second Game Of Thrones book and there's this part where this girl gets raped by half a hundred men and then is left wondering the streets naked. Just the visual imagery in my head... and just when I'm trying to move past that image... they bring it up again. It was used as an example of angry mob mentality and there were also men murdered brutally... but raped by half a hundred men part? It churns my stomach more than the depictions of the murders, which was more graphically described. I'm sorry... SO off topic even for me, but I was just reading the book and I'm sitting here nauseous.


	10. Chapter 10

Hello! I ate... too much ice cream for dinner. It really screwed with my resolution to lose twenty pounds this year... but hey? I have myself till 2013 to lose those twenty pounds... so there's that? It this were October I might be in a bit of trouble to meet my goal... but I've got 11 and a half months. Swimming in time. You all can feel free to nag me if you want. What's a scone... wait... stone? British readers? How many pounds are in a stone? It's a stone right? A score? It can't be a scone can it? It can't be those tasty pastries at Starbucks that I don't let myself eat? Did I mention I can't drink Starbucks? Too strong for me. To all my Canadian/Ontarian readers... I MISS Second Cup. Shout out to my vanilla bean hot chocolate! Damn. Now I want hot chocolate. Never mind. Twenty pounds by 2013. If I make it maybe I'll post a glamour shot on Twitter? We'll see. Here we go...

Chuck stood beside his father as he, Lily, Eric and Serena rode the elevator up to the Waldorf penthouse. He hid his smirk as Serena tugged at a skirt she wore that was a good four inches longer than the ones she normally would put on, but her mother had caught an earful from Bart and so here Serena was. Practically Mormon. Okay, so maybe it was still several inches above her knees, but she still hated being told what to wear. Welcome to their new family life, Chuck felt like taunting her.

When the elevator doors finally opened everyone who wasn't a Bass practically fell out to escape the tension that puled in the inclosed box. Bart and Chuck were used people feeling that way around them, even if these people were their new family. Bart Bass thrived on tension. Chuck Bass more often than not found it amusing.

There were several people mingling in the foyer, but it was clear that the cocktail party was already underway through most of the main floor of the large apartment. The Waldorf's had thrown this Parent mixer for the school every year stretching back to Blair's first year, and it was considered to be a very elite affair since they decided who was invited to this school event, and more pointedly who wasn't. Jenny Humphrey was still sitting by her mailbox waiting with bated breath for her invite.

As for him? Given her public avoidance of him of late, one would think she would have had his name stricken from the guest list. Chuck had no illusions. Three things had landed his invitation, one he was Lily Bass' step-son, who was a society friend of Eleanor Waldorf so his invite was assured, and two, he was the son of Bart Bass. Money had it's rewards after all. And third, given the first two reasons, to have not invited him would have raised more gossip red flags than it lowered.

So now he stood, in her perfect, Old Money home waiting for the welcome he knew she'd hate to give. Given their dalliance the other night at his party, he'd expected Blair to avoid him like the plague tonight, and was mildly surprised as she approached them with a wide smile.

"Lily!" Blair greeted and the women kissed cheeks before she turned and offered her hand and cheek to Bart. "Mr. Bass."

She was the perfect hostess, just as her mother had taught her, greeting each of them, even Chuck with a perfect smile and welcome. She complemented Lily on her jewelry and congratulated Bart on a deal that he'd closed in Toronto that she'd read about in the paper this morning.

Chuck watched her from that point as if she was on mute, and enjoyed the way her jewel incrusted headband sparkled in her dark hair. The way her dress tapered and clung to her small waist before twirling out around her hips. And her lips... maybe he heard no sound because his mind could only process the deep red, perfection of her lips without actually hearing her voice?

He couldn't help but make a mental note that his bow tie and handkerchief matched the silver of her dress. Chuck glanced at his father and raised a brow. Bart liked her. Chuck could tell, and it made sense because Blair was the type of girl a step-father didn't have to tell that a shirt was cut too low and her skirt too high. This wasn't the type of girl you had to worry about being splashed all over tabloids for drunken nights and inappropriate affairs. Chuck could have refuted the halo he could see his father pining on Blair, but he let it slide. She was the baddest Good Girl he'd ever met, and he admired her ability to mask herself to suit her own purposes. He also loved it when she let her Bad Girl out to play with him. Maybe he loved it too much. Maybe he... His mind broke that off and he turned the volume up in his head to rejoin the benign conversation.

"Blair, I was so sorry to hear your mother wouldn't be attending tonight..." Lily said kindly. "I was looking forward to stealing a piece or two from her new collection before it was unveiled."

For a brief instant Chuck saw the flash of pain in her eyes before she forced a sparkle into them. "I know! She was devastated to miss tonight... but you know how it is... Fashion waits for no one..."

Her eyes met Chuck's again... and they knew both knew how it was to have parents who'd built empires... leaving the home front to be run by a fleet of trained staff. Speaking of highly trained staff, Dorota approached and whispered quickly into Blair's ear.

Her eyes shifted away and her her venire was back in place. "Well, I hope all of you will enjoy the party... If you'll please excuse me I have to see to a few details?"

Before more could be said the Bass-Van Der Woodsen group was swarmed by the sycophants that wanted to claim their attention. They were swept into the party, but Chuck looked back from the swarm to see Blair watching him go before the elevator binged again and the perfect hostess was back in place.

After the required face time following Bart and Lily around, their collective children were finally allowed to fade into the party on their own. With Blair tied to her hosting duties, Serena had taken up with Kati and Iz near the dining room, and where Serena went a gaggle of boys tended to follow. Chuck, who liked to watch, found a vantage point that suited him, one where he could see as much of the goings on as he could and still be left alone, and leaned back to lounge and watch and wait. Eric, being younger than many at the party fell in at Chuck's side. Wordlessly they settled in chairs near the fireplace and Chuck ordered a scotch from a cater waiter while Eric went on to nurse a coke. They were new at being brothers, but oddly felt at easy around one another. Chuck sensed they both knew what it was like to be adrift, and that kinship lent itself to the building of a relationship.

"You should say hello." Chuck said after witnessing Eric make eyes at one of the waiters for the past half hour. It wasn't one-sided. The young waiter often smiled charmingly at Eric.

"What? ... No. I mean... Why would I... no." Eric stuttered, shocked at what Chuck was saying... and shocked that Chuck had noticed him staring at the young man in serving attire. Did other's notice as well, Eric worried?

"Eric... never be afraid to be who you are." Chuck gave him a knowing look. "The people who love you... will love you always. The ones who don't... were assholes to begin with."

Eric's eyes widened a fraction. For all that he'd heard that his new step-brother was a jackass, he'd never experienced it. He now knew that Chuck knew the secret he'd hidden from everyone... and that it didn't matter. After throwing back his drink, Chuck glanced over at him and the edge of his mouth quirked, and Eric knew that he now had someone in his life that accepted him and supported him. It was like a weight lifted from his shoulders. He wasn't alone with this anymore. He wasn't alone.

With a jolt of confidence Eric got up and was about to hurry after the waiter when he paused to look back at Chuck, making eye contact. A mischievous smirk curved his mouth as he nodded briskly towards Blair and he stole Chuck's line. "You should say hello."

Eric was gone before Chuck could scoff, but he knew now that Eric hadn't been blind to the way Chuck's eyes had sought her so many times tonight. They went to her yet again as she mingled. With the adults she was the model of UES perfection. She knew everyone by name and was able to talk easily with each of them, gaining information she could use later, most likely on their children, without them even realizing. With said children she greeted or cut down as she saw fit, and each of them knew they'd just dealt with the Queen. It was one of the ways she stayed on top.

Chuck liked her on top.

His thoughts would have strayed to the other ways in which he liked her... but the new arrivals caught his attention. Nate and his parents had just entered the apartment, and Blair greeted them as she had everyone else, but Chuck could see the greater familiarity she had with the Archibalds. All three seemed to assume that Blair's official entrance into their family was all but confirmed. The ring had not been professed without the approval of his parents. The adults smiled to each other as they watched Nate present Blair with a bouquet of pink roses, which Blair accepted before offering him her cheek. In Chuck's mind he thought Nate's kiss on her skin lingered far longer than it should have.

She moved away quickly with excuse of having to see to her other guests and ensure the hired staff knew what the term 'circulate' meant.

She disappeared from his view at that point and he either had to get up to find a better perspective or find someone else to watch. He was just shifting to move when he noticed Nate looking cagey alone in the foyer. He'd separated himself from his parents and Chuck noted the way his blue eyes darted around as if to see if the coast was clear before he ascended the stairs with quick light steps. Chuck knew the signs of being up to no good, and the other boy was acting textbook. Maybe she didn't need time to think? Maybe Nate and Blair had patched things up? Maybe they were meeting to screw on her vanity before heading back for canapés with his parents? Chuck felt bile burn his throat at the thought and he knew he'd never have any rest until he found out why Nate was sneaking upstairs to the restricted private floor of the Waldorf home.

Chuck had become familiar with the back stairwell, having used it himself to avoid being seen by Blair's maid/pit bull, Dorota. He breathed a slight sigh of relief as he passed the kitchen and could clearly hear Blair berating the caterers for what she declared an excessive use of garnish. She clearly had no plans for a rendezvous upstairs with her maybe-ex. Which begged the question... what was dear Nathaniel up to?

He wasn't surprised to find Nate in the first place he looked. Blair's bedroom. He was also relieved to see that Nate wasn't, as Chuck had first suspected he might be up to, jerking off into a pair of Blair's La Perla's. It's what Chuck would have done... and left them on her pillow with one of his embossed calling cards... Yet he digressed... and made a mental note to save that idea for later in the party, and focused on what the other boy was actually doing.

Chuck tilted his head as he took a moment to watch Nate's actions before letting him in on his presence. Watching unnoticed tended to gain one a great deal of information. Chuck was shocked by the info he was getting and his brain was rapidly trying to decipher it. Nate was crouched beside her bed, the bedside table open in front of him. He had taken out a silver jewelry box, roughly the length of his hand, that Blair kept in that drawer. The box was known to Chuck because he knew that to be where Blair hid her stash of condoms, and even if he hadn't have known that before, he would have known now. There were a half dozen of them laid out on the bed, and Chuck watched with a furrowing brow as Nate methodically took a pin and punctured each foil several times before returning it to the box.

"That seems to be counterintuitive..." Chuck murmured dryly.

Nate's eyes shot to the door and a look of guilt flushed his face. It was replaced by a wash of relief. "Chuck!" Nate burst as he let out a relieved gasp. "You scared the hell out of me! I thought you might be Blair for a moment!"

Feeling at ease with the boy he had grown to consider a friend, Nate tidied up what he was doing, replaced the silver box in the drawer and rose to his feet. He took Chuck's silence as a signal to confess. What would Chuck Bass care if he was trying to get his girlfriend pregnant?

"Chuck, man... I know this looks bad, but it's really no big deal." Nate spoke like the puppy he was. "Blair and I... We're going through a rough patch, but we're going to work it out. She's going to be my wife one day and be the mother of my children... so why not just move it along?"

"By getting her pregnant with out her consent?" Chuck asked incredulously, still thrown off by the 'nice' guy's gall. Then a confusion entered it. "I didn't even know the two of you were still..."

"We're not." Nate shrugged. "She wants space right now, but next week... it's our anniversary... and she gets all romantic... so... you know..."

The sight of Nate's wagging eyebrows left a bad taste in Chuck's mouth. Nate caught it and thought Chuck was still judging him on what he was doing, so he went on to defend himself. "Look, maybe it is a little early for a baby... but we're meant to be. It's meant to be. We'll get married by Christmas... have the baby this summer... and she can still go to school in the fall. What's the big deal? So, maybe she'll be pissed that she's fat for prom? We have the rest of our lives to make it up."

"You don't think she'll be angry that you-" Chuck could see so many holes in the other boy's logic, that he barely knew where to start. As a lifetime manipulator he could only see this work as sloppy. Plus there was the little fact that there'd be another a little thing called a baby to raise...

"Dude!" Nate actually laughed. "I'm not going to tell her!"

"Of course." Chuck rolled his eyes. He needed a joint.

Nate got a rare frown on his clear brow and he looked at Chuck. "You're not going to tell her either, are you? Look, there's no need to get her upset. I've only been doing this for a few weeks. We haven't even had sex since she got back from Europe. It's still a fate thing. IF it happens when it happens... it was still kind of meant to be... I just helped it along a little."

Nate took Chuck's silence and agreement and thumped him twice on the shoulder as he walked passed him and out of Blair's room. "Thanks, man. I owe you."

Chuck somehow managed to nod, but it was pure reflex. His mind had latched on to one sentence and wouldn't let it go. It ran over and over in his brain. "I've only been doing this for a few weeks." Images that usually Chuck liked to linger over and enjoy, instead zipped through his traumatized mind. Blair and he in this room. Naked. Blair reaching repeatedly into her stash of condoms. Him using them. With her. Him coming in them... but now in her. He and Blair in the club last night, her pulling a foil package from her purse. Him using it again... with her. In her.

For a boy who's eyes usually narrowed, they were now unusually wide as realization reached into his skull and shook his brain. Only one word echoed through his mind in that moment.

"Fuck."

TahDAH! Well? Do you all still feel bad for Nate? I'm guessing not so much at the moment.

Did you ever have one of those morning where everything seemed to just... run out? I went to brush my teeth... the toothpaste was magically empty. I had to SQUEEZE and cry and beg to get a little onto my brush. Then the toothbrush did this, "buzz-it." and died, leaving me to brush my teeth without the added cleaning help of vibrations. THEN I went to wash my hands and the soap pump pathetically wheezed out a last plop. What the hell? I know what you're thinking. Believe me I double checked that there was plenty of toilet paper before I even sat down. Phew on that one. I do not believe in dripping dry. I know what you're also thinking now. My answer? I washed my hands with body wash from the shower when I was done. I'm not an animal.

I am now going to hurry and post this so as I can hurry to enjoy some time with my therapist. I love my therapist! I'm glad they finally have one on GG that doesn't take bribes. Oh, and you all probably wouldn't like her. She thinks I should cut back on my fic writing to focus on my book. Blasphemy!


	11. Chapter 11

Hello! Can you tell I'm in an airport again? Yep. In Pearson International and writing to you... as I wait for my now delayed flight. I am now going to write as much as I can before I board. I won't write on the flight because I'll be enjoying my personal TV. So far I see no babies anywhere... so keep your fingers crossed. I don't know why it should bother me. I just spent the last seven days with two almost 3 month olds and a two and a half year old. I showered this morning but still managed to get covered in baby barf. Worse yet? Breast milk baby barf. That was inside TWO other human beings before it got spit up on my shoulders and arms. Ewww. Oh, and given where I am... I've proof read less than usual... which is usually little to none. Here we go...

Chuck stood in her room for a moment his fists clenching and unclenching. His jaw twitched. After long moments of limited movement Chuck spun on his heel and out of her room. So caught up in his focus he was on the second step down before he fully took in the scene below him and slowed his pace. A large section of the party had gathered in the foyer, but didn't seem to notice him as their attention was focused on the party's impeccable host... who also happened to be subject of his full attention as well.

She was in the midst of thanking the party for coming after completing a speech on the merits of their class and their senior year, which meant nothing to Chuck because all he could see was the glass of champaign she was raising to the room. His eyes went to the perfect lushness of her lips. In his peripheral vision he saw the crowd echo her action and raise their glasses as well. As if in slow motion he saw the glass approach her lips. His eyes widened fractionally and later when he would reflect on his next actions he would wonder whether he'd lost his mind, because just as the chilled glass touched her glossed bottom lip... Chuck bumped into her as if he'd just tripped on a stair. She lurched forward, where he caught her around her waist before she could fall, but every drop of alcohol in her glass flew straight into the face of Headmistress Queller.

Blair and Chuck both froze as the entire party fell silent with a gasp. Queller calmly swallowed the mouthful of champaign that had forced its way into past her lips and waved away the sycophantic parents and students that hurriedly tried to dab at her face with napkins.

"Ms. Waldorf?"

"Yes, Headmistress Queller?" Blair asked with wide and seemingly innocent eyes.

"As always it's been a pleasure." The woman said dryly before excusing herself to freshen up.

With Queller gone Blair slipped quickly back into hostess mode, and moved to push the party away from the moment of awkwardness. She signaled the music to pick up again and for the waiters to circulate with a fresh round of food and drink. Ever a Waldorf the evening was back on track within minutes.

They were surrounded by people, but for the moment Chuck and Blair held no one's attention but their own.

"What the hell was that?" She demanded angrily, not for one minute believing what had just happened had been an accident. "Are you trying to ruin my future?"

Chuck raised a brow as if laughing at an internal joke. "Funny you should ask..."

She practically growled before swinging on her heel and trying to storm away. She was out of luck because he caught her elbow. She stopped and her body became rigid and she slowly pivoted to look at him, she glanced down at his hand and then back up to his eyes coldly. She didn't even need to say anything and he dropped his hand from her skin as if it had burnt him.

She turned to leave but this time he stopped her by merely stepping into her and pressing himself against her back, his head craned around her to whisper into her ear.

"We need to talk."

Her senses had reeled at his closeness, but the command in his voice brought her back down. Without turning around she dismissed him icily. "Why would I have anything to say to you?"

She said it with such scorn, still angry at the scene he'd cause, that he let her step away and disappear into the party.

Hours later Blair stood in her bathroom, fresh from a hot shower, and ran a comb through her dark wet hair. The party had been perfect, just as she'd planned, except for the minor blip of Chuck Bass and his assy incident. She was still scowling as she walked into her bedroom. She nearly pulled a muscle as her scowl deepened upon seeing Chuck standing in her bedroom.

What wiped the look off her face was all the signals he was giving out. Since she'd known him she'd seen him in many ways, and she wasn't fully surprised to find him there. What was surprising was the way he was acting. He wasn't his usual sedate to the point of brooding self. He didn't look like he was scheming in his head. He didn't look like he had all answers. Chuck Bass looked... nervous.

Blair's head cocked forward to contemplate the pacing boy in her bedroom.

"Are you sweating?" She asked incredulously.

He swung around having been so caught up in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed her at first. His eyes couldn't help but sweep her from the crown of her drying curls to the bottom of her bare, dark red nailed, feet. Fuck. Even stripped down in a robe, without couture, makeup and jewels, she was still amazingly sexy. He felt a tightening in his body and mentally slapped himself. This is what had gotten them into this situation in the first place.

"I told you we needed to talk."

"Yes." She confirmed primly. "I recall it was right around the time you humiliated me in front of our entire class, faculty and parents. Well done."

"You were fine." He rolled his eyes, because they both knew tonight had done little to damage her standing. "But since you are so concerned with your reputation... you really are going to want to sit down, shut up, and listen to what I have to say."

She should have bristled about his choice of words, but something in his tone had her sitting on her chaise quietly with a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. By the time he was done speaking she thought she was going to throw up.

She was glad that she was sitting down and her eyes were wide as she spoke to the air of the room, but really him. He sat beside her and looked straight ahead himself. It had been all he'd thought about for hours, and yet it had been saying it out loud to her that had made it real.

"So he..." She asked with leading.

"Yes." He confirmed.

"And we..."

"We did."

"Which means I could be..."

"It would appear so..."

Something seemed to snap inside her and she shot to her feet and ran across the room. She jerked open her drawer so hard that she pulled it from the bedside table. Snatching up the silver box she ran across the room to the bathroom and slammed the box on the sink's countertop. Her hands rested on it and she took a deep breath and let her head drop to her chest. Minutes passed and she finally raised her head, briefly meeting the eyes of Chuck who leaned against the door jam watching her wearily. She was feeling greatly detached as she then, with methodical care, one-by-one opened each packet, wrapped and held the end around the facet and turned the tap.

They got off to a misleading start as the first one withstood the pressure with nary a leak. She nodded a little as she turned the tap off and her inner dialogue told her that Chuck couldn't be right. The second one did its best impression of a sieve. One after another the evidence was driven home.

"Well... It looks like the horse is very much out of the gate..."

The visual in Blair's head had her face crinkling in distaste. "Ew."

Taking offense to her clearly being grossed out. "You didn't seem to have a problem with it when it was in your m-"

"Enough!" She cut him off with a sweeping hand gesture and shooting eyes.

She turned around to face him with her hands fisted at her sides. "At this moment I have a riot of questions racing around in my head, but in order to reign them all in and take them down one by one... I need to say one thing."

He was actually curious so nodded curtly.

"Chuck Bass if you've given me an STD I will flay the skin from your body and make jerky of your organs."

He almost chuckled, but a smirk was all that showed. "Relax, Waldorf. I'm clean..."

Her head tilted to the side and her mouth curled. He rolled his eyes and pulled out his phone, texting quickly. "I'll have my most recent tests emailed to your phone and I'll get retested tomorrow and forward those results to you as well."

"Thank you." She nodded coldly.

She looked at the bath. He looked at the doorknob. She looked over at the copper garbage pail. He contemplated the tissue box.

"So..."

"So..."

"That leaves..."

She couldn't handle all the millions of consequences of what boat they could now both be in, and the decisions that might have to be made.

"I'm going to kill him!" She stormed as she pushed past Chuck, needing more space to pace in her spacious bed room. As she moved quickly back and forth across the carpet she demanded. "What was he thinking?"

Chuck lowered himself onto her chaise, pulling a flask out of his pocket, and drawing deeply from it. He pinched his nose as he ran down Nate's plan.

"He's a moron." Blair derided the plan of her sort of/now most definitely ex-boyfriend. "I am not having a moron's baby."

"No, but you might be having mine."

The truth fell heavy, like a hammer, through the room. Blair collapsed onto the foot of her bed, sitting quietly. He could see a slight tremor to her hands, and as she noticed him noticing she clutched them together. He wanted to touch her. Hold her. But he stayed where he was. After long moments he spoke again with a soft timber to his deep voice.

"Do you think you might be?"

She shrugged slightly looking down at her hands. "I... don't know? I'm not due till next week..."

"You're not on the pill?"

"No." He frowned at her, she frowned right back. "They make me bloat."

"So does pregnancy." He bit out.

"Touché." She said sarcastically. "I'll get right on a prescription tomorrow... oh, wait!"

"Alright!" He snapped. "Can you take a test before then?"

She looked up at him defensively. "How should I know?"

"Well..."

"Because I'm a woman? I should just know everything due to the fact that I have ovaries?"

"Fine." He put on a fake smile. "May I ask if you have any suggestions as to what we may do to find out if you are in a delicate condition?"

Two minutes later they were trolling the internet. They learned got ideas and had others shot down. Plan B would help them address the other night, but with a 72 hour window, it made pill ineffective for last weekend. Unfortunately while it was too late for that it was also still early for a pregnancy test.

"So we wait?" He asked with a bad taste in his mouth.

She was right there with him given it felt unnatural for two people who were used to immediate gratification to wait. It would seem like they had no choice.

"Screw that." She announced. "There's a better way for us to pass the time."

That caught Chuck's attention and his eyes narrowed on her. "You have a suggestion?"

A calculating smile curved her lips. "Revenge."

Chuck smiled back, enjoying the sparkle in her eyes, and raised his flask to her. "Waldorf, I like the way you think."

TahDAH! Okay, so my opinion of the last episode was asked in a review for I Told You (seriously, scarlett2u, dude you need an account so I can respond personally! Don't be scared. I'm awesome.) but I'm going to answer there because I just watched the whole thing... The overall gist? Sad Blair makes me sad. I can kind of see where they have her coming from. I think her head's a little messed up and she's spinning which is why she's clinging to this pact. I didn't hate the episode as a whole, but mostly I still feel like I'm killing time. They've set CB as a great love, they know it, CB know it, and we sure as hell know it. I'm just getting really weary of the road blocks. It's going on to long. Here are a few observations... Do you know what I forget sometimes? How much I love Chuck Bass' voice and inflection. It's not just sexy as hell (which it totally is), it's also just amazing to listen to... especially when you know he's on a fishing trip.

Also, Chuck has a magical dog. "Find Dorota and have her dry you off."? How does the dog know who or what a Dorota is? And did you see the limo shot? Chuck, do you know what keeps your head from hitting off of things in an accident? A seatbelt! Geeze. My Papa wouldn't start the car in less I'd put my seatbelt on. Oh, and the "Chuck was nearly struck by a car" thing. WTF? I grew up in a rather large city, one that I've nearly been struck in several times, and it was always A MILLION times closer than what Blair witnessed with Chuck. The taxi? When they get that close you just cuss them out and keep walking. One of my top moments? Dan and Chuck. You're kind of like her brother. So are you. I nearly wet myself at the look on Dan's face.

Oh, and I'm even going to cheat. See, on my favourite GG site I could go into the spec thread and post this... but then some smartypants would come in and point out all the flaws in my logic. Why would I want that? Ha HA! I win! Winning! I'm really REALLY hoping that Chuck was serious about Chuck Bassing Blair's secret. I kind of REALLY hope... that being well aware of the Blair/Georgina animosity... he has G working for him to find out about what Blair's hiding.

PS-I stole a little line from a song of by boyfriend Ray LaMontagne.


	12. Chapter 12

Hello! I have started and stopped writing at least three chapters for various things at this point. I'm indecisive at the moment. So now I'm sitting at my desk, not even curled on my bed because I'm trying to be productive on a rainy Vancouver afternoon... and I'm going to try to write this. I actually sat at my desk to try and revamp my resume, but I'm chickening out. Vancouver is by far the toughest place I've ever job searched in and I'm scared to start trying again. What fuels my need to look? My job barely covers my living expenses. I hate feeling like my nose is JUST above the water. I like to at least be treading comfortably. Plus... I'm not doing what I want to be doing or even what I studied for. What I do know is the more I feel trapped by a situation, the more motivated I am to get out of it. I feel like I'm in a too small cage right now. And this has been a super whiney rant. Apologies. Here we go...

Blair walked down the centre aisle and slipped into a pew near the front of the cathedral. She crossed herself like she'd seen in the movies and slipped onto her knees. Blair rested her elbows on the pew in front of her, her hands pressed together and her eyes screwed shut in concentration.

"Dear, sweet, kind, omnipotent ... forgiving, Lord?" She whispered earnestly thinking this was the place to start. "I understand that you may be... perhaps... confused... to hear from me at this juncture... or maybe not. As you probably know, I've gotten-been led into this current... situation."

Blair grimaced. "Okay, let's just cut to the chase shall we? I watched the entire first season of Parenthood yesterday, and let me tell you... I am not ready for that. I'm not ready to be a parent. I barely have parents myself, so really? Would you be in your right mind giving me a baby to rear? Wait! Giving Chuck Bass a baby to rear? What could you be thinking?"

Blair's voice had raised at the end and smiled pettily at the eighty year old woman who dared to give her cut-eye. Heaving a deep sigh she got back on point.

"Please, please, please... If you let me not be pregnant, I promise to try and be a better person... I promise to never- to strongly attempt to avoid premarital sex... Okay that last one not even I could say with a straight face, but you get my gist." She looked up with a roll of her eyes. Blair Waldorf had just eye-rolled God.

"Look... You know me. I'm a good person." She only flinched slightly. She sighed again. "Just... please consider not making me pregnant. Please."

She pushed off her knees, cringing at the dents left in her skin. "Would it kill someone to reupholster around here?"

Her tentative steps ramped up to a quick click by the time she'd reached the huge wooden doors at the front of the building. Out in the sunshine and fresh air, Blair took a happy breath in.

She slipped her sunglasses onto her nose and started down the steps. The smiled stayed on her face as she started walking down the sidewalk, but was wiped off as a growingly familiar limo pulled slowly up beside her. She stopped in her tracks, her chin up as the window lowered and his smirking face was revealed.

"Well, well, well... This is a surprise..." He said as he pulled his own shades off his face. He'd been trailing her since she'd left school over an hour ago and had chosen that line for his greeting as he'd waited on her.

"Chuck." She greeted coolly before she started walking again, and she tossed over her shoulder dryly. "I would recommend you making a trip into the confessional, but the cathedral is hundreds of years old and I'd hate to see it burn to the ground."

He bit his lower lip at the flick of her dark hair and his gaze locked hungrily on her ass as she walked away. He got lost in her gate for a moment, but quickly gave his driver the order to follow her, and so soon he was along side her again, his car keeping pace with her steps.

"Stalk me much?" She commented, still not looking at him.

"Everyone needs a hobby..." He smirked, not put off by her dismissive tone. He made an observation of his own. "You're walking... how pedestrian..."

"Your point?"

"Let me give you a ride."

"That's how we got in our current situation." She replied, but paused as she reached her favourite entrance to the park. "Besides... Where I'm going you can't follow me."

"I'd follow you anywhere."

Her breath caught at the sincerity of his voice. She cleared her throat and turned on her heel. "Well then... let's go."

She walked into the park leaving him to the decision if he was a man of his word. He didn't hesitate, climbing out of his limo to saunter after her. She was a head of him and he didn't run to catch up, only kept her in his sights to track her. She finally stopped at the duck pond and sat down on a bench where he joined her moments later.

She sat up straight, knees together and legs crossed as the ankles and hands folded gently in her lap. Chuck leaned back, resting his elbows on the back of the bench and resting one ankle on his other knee. They sat for long minutes looking at the ducks swimming in the pond.

"Did you get my email?"

"Yes, but it will never work."

"Why? I thought the prostitutes were an apropos choice..."

"It has too many avenues that can be traced back to one or the both of us. He's got old money behind him. Whatever we do has to fly under his grandfather's radar."

Chuck shrugged not being afraid of William Vanderbilt. Chuck may be new money but he had more of it than anyone else in the city. People had to continue to deal with the Bass family regardless of grievances, and that bred into Chuck a certain degree of self-assurance. Blair on the other hand was straight up Old Money. She had. Her family had it. And they'd had it for a long time. She was however, very much in society and so she had to play their games and going directly up against the patriarch of one of the oldest families in New York could affect her way more than him.

"Very well... Then I'm open to any of your suggestions..." He commented with a pointed look.

They both knew she'd stayed surprisingly quiet on the revenge plotting thus far. Blair was about angels and she wouldn't make a move or discuss it with him until she had every possibility mapped out.

Neither moved... until Chuck's index finger reached out and slowly ran down the back of Blair's neck. Goosebumps raced over her skin from the slight touch.

"Stop it."

"Stop what?" He asked innocently.

She was about to say more when a ragged Nanny walked by pushing a stroller and dragging a screaming, blue faced toddler behind her. They were silent till the group passed.

"Oh, god. That could be us." Blair groaned.

"No. Unfortunately we'll be unable to employ a Nanny... seeing as our parent will have disinherited us... You'll be forced to raise it."

"You mean _we_. _We_ will be forced to raise it." She stressed coldly at him.

"Of course." He said quickly.

They fell into silence again but this time it was heavy and thick, each one thinking of what they could be facing. Over the first few days, since finding out, they'd kept their distance, processing, and hadn't spoken of a possible baby they might share. Instead there were texts and emails pertaining to the satisfying topic of revenge, but now they sat in a park and were flooded with what could be there future.

"Would you?" Blair asked quietly.

"Would I what?" Chuck asked distractedly as he was pulled from his own thoughts.

"Would you... help me raise it... if I even am... if I even have it..." She rambled.

They had yet to discuss options, but they both knew they had them.

Chuck cleared his throat. "Whatever you decided..."

"That's a cop out. If I am... then this baby is both of ours and I want to know where your head is at." She demanded crisply.

"If are and you keep it... Then I wouldn't not want to be there..." He said vaguely.

"What a gentleman..."

He smirked at her tone. He was about to say more when she spotted two girls from Spence walking down the path. Blair quickly got up and looked around cagily.

"I have to go." She said quickly. "We can't be seen together!"

He placed a hand to his chest. "I'm hurt."

"You will be if don't get out of here." She said sharply.

She grabbed his ear and twisted it. He yelped and quickly stood up as well. She turned to walk out of the park and he fell into step beside her so she quickly stopped and looked at him like he was crazy. "Where are you going?"

"Leaving..."

"Not the same way as me!" She grabbed his shoulder, spun him around and shoved him in the back in the opposite direction of where she was going and where they both had come from.

"My limo is over there..." He pointed out bitterly.

"And I'll text myself like I care later." She chirped blithely and shoved him again. "Now go!"

He grumbled something about liking it when she played rough and then finally sauntered away. She huffed a little and spared a small smile as she watched the way he walked away. She licked her bottom lip, shook herself out of it and walked away.

Three days later Chuck stared at the screen of his phone. He hadn't been within ten feet of her since the day in the park, with the exception of his time seated behind her in class. To keep up appearances they had stayed away from each other, which made sense to him, but she'd also had to maintain a civil, if not downright friendly relationship with Nate. While Chuck knew all this it killed him to watch her have lunch with Nate in the quad while he couldn't even come near her. Before this news they'd clearly been starting something, but now everything seemed up in the air and it didn't help to see her let herself be fawned over by her ex-boyfriend.

This was why her text to meet her at her place caught him so off guard. A part of him wanted to snub her but he knew he couldn't stay away. A half hour later he was walking through her bedroom door... and was greeted by the loud pop of a champagne cork. His eyes widened as he watched her giggle at the bubbles that spilled over her hands.

"Am I interrupting something..." He raised a brow.

Her eyes were sparkling and she smiled at him as she filled two flutes. "How could you be interrupting when you've been invited to this party."

She coyly held out a glass to him and he quickly walked across the room to take it from her, feeling slightly off kilter before even tasting the alcohol. Her eyes were locked on his as she raised the glass to her lips and drank deeply from it before holding her glass up to him. As a reflex the clinked his glass to hers.

"I take it this means what I think it does..."

"I'm not pregnant!" She declared happily.

Chuck gasped out the breath he felt like he'd been holding for days, took both of their glasses and set them aside, and caught her in his arms and spun her around. It was the most exuberant she'd ever seen him and she'd be lying if she said she didn't feel the same way. She wanted to be a mother one day... but that day was a long way from now.

It was as her feet touched the ground that everything seemed to slow down. Their laughter faded away and they were left standing in each other's arms, chests touching, hips pressed, and sharing breaths. Blair looked down studying his tie. Chuck looked only at her. He didn't want to say anything because he didn't want to lose this moment. He lost it anyway when she quietly pulled out of his embrace. He let her go but he didn't want to.

She moved back to the glasses and picked one up. Chuck noted that she drank from his and gladly picked up hers, drinking from the spot that was marred by her lip gloss and reveling in the intimacy. As they finished their drinks he looked for something to say, something to keep him with her.

"So... You're sure?"

"I'm sure." She assured him.

"How?"

"The old fashioned way." She dodged, looking slightly embarrassed.

He raised a brow and she clarified. "I got my period."

He nodded and put his drink down. "So now what?"

"Now?" She looked at him. "Now Nathaniel Archibald should be very afraid."

TahDAH! For everyone who was hoping there wasn't a pregnancy yea for us! I was always thinking scare not pregnancy. Partly because I'm already writing a pregnant Blair in another fic and partly because I just didn't feel like that vibe for this story. For those of you who wanted a baby... forgive me?

Okay, so I know I can't be alone on this... I adore Blair Waldorf. Now, I may be loyal to a fault, but... I'm still standing by her this season. I still adore her. Maybe that's why I'm not ready to go fully negative? I just keep looking at the plus sides and what could still come out of all this. I tend to go best case scenario with CB, especially right now. So... maybe I'm going to end up with egg all over my face and downright crushed over CB... but I'm still going to hope for them. And... I just can't get the image of a CB elopement out of my head.

Oh, and what the hell is wrong with Louis? Okay, one, when your fiancee has to run a paternity test... it may be time to rethink the relationship. When you think she's having an affair again, before you're even married... Dude, seriously... you don't put a ring on that. Get some self-esteem.

Oh, oh and happy 100th to all!


	13. Chapter 13

Hello! I know many of you have been waiting... and someone has a little Busted cough on Twitter, so hopefully this will help and be worth the wait? I think this puppy is gonna be super short. Just a warning before you start reading it. Did you see how I did that? I tell you NOW that it's going to be super short so your expectations are LOW. I do that in life too. Works every time. Unless of course reviewers all throw "Too short" into your reviews... and then I'll just have egg on my face. It'll be okay. I'm not vegan. Here we go...

The wind blew her dark curls around her face and she smoothed them down as she sat atop her thrown at the peak of the Met steps. Her back was straight and her outfit was perfect, even her stocking were not in need of an adjustment. Her usual perfection seemed extra polished today, and only she knew this was not by accident, and it was directly related to the near giddy anticipation she felt flutter inside of her as Chuck and her plan for revenge was finally about to be set in motion. She pretended to occasionally bestow her attentions on the minions who sat around her feet, but in actuality she kept her eye on the street. This also helped because she was ignoring the judgmental stare of her best friend. Her best friend that had sworn to keep her mouth shut, no matter what... with the exception of the part she was being blackmailed into playing.

She'd gotten a text from Chuck three minutes ago saying that they were in place, so she didn't even look around. Chuck had said he'd make sure Nate was down on the sidewalk at the scheduled time, so she knew he'd be there and there was no need for her to double check. For a brief instant it flashed in her mind how much she'd come to trust this boy she'd only known for a few weeks. There were people she'd known her whole life that she'd trust about as much as you could trust Lindsay Lohan to stay sober. Unnerved she shoved the thought down and stilled herself to wait. The anticipation was killing her, even though she knew she was the only one going into this without any reservations.

_Four Days Ago..._

"It's a stupid plan." He glowered at her from where he lay spread out in his perfectly pressed suit across her chaise. They were on opposite sides of her room, but his keen eyes devoured her every movement as she touched up her makeup from after school. He wanted to lick the gloss right off her perfect bow lips, but settled for pretending to be the wand.

"It's not a stupid plan, it's a perfect plan and you're just put out that you didn't come up with it." She sang as she looked at herself in her vanity mirror, but shot her eyes to meet his in the glass with a triumphant smile.

"Wrong. I would never have come up with this." He insisted. And he wouldn't. He hated this plan from her first telling him of it, it left a sick feeling twisting in his gut, but he had to admit, if only in his head, that the plan would seem to be the most... feasible.

She spun around on the stool so that she was looking at him not his image, and she chided. "So... Do you know someone?"

Chuck shrugged and looked as if he smelled something distasteful and pretended to ignore her.

"Now. Now. Pouting is so unbecoming." She spoke as if to a five year old and questioned him again. "You must know somebody."

Chuck's face twisted as he gave in. "I may know a guy..."

He did know a guy. A perfect guy for this plot, and he even knew the other boy would be game for this type of scheme... for the right price and for his own amusement. It just wasn't something Chuck particularly wanted to do... Even if she had come up with the perfect plan.

She smiled at him slyly. "Why am I not surprised?"

The twinkle in her eye had a part of him stirring... but then it didn't take much apparently when it came to here. They hadn't touched each other since they condom fiasco, and it had been so long... it had left them in a weird place, and that place was even more in the unknown then it had been before. What were they to each other? At the moment the only clear answer was that they were partners in crime... but as two people with an invested shared interest... or as a couple. Whatever it was... Chuck was weary of laying a hand on her.

Blair looked at him sprawled across her chaise and had to clap down on the impulse to throw herself on top of him... But had no idea if she should. Did he still want her? If he did... did he understand that she was a relationship girl? While she'd really enjoyed their brief encounters... She wanted more from him. Much more. And not knowing if he wanted the more that she wanted... had her skittish enough to keep her hands to herself.

Realizing that nothing had been said for several seconds, Blair cleared her throat to alleviate the awkwardness that had seemed to dip into the room.

"Just to be clear... He'll meet all of my standards?"

"He'll be perfect." Chuck grudgingly assured her.

_Today on the Met steps..._

Blair's face gave nothing away as she saw it all begin to unfold, and yet her ever scatter minded minions paid no heed to the silver town car that pulled up. Even when the door was opened by the driver and the man in the back stepped out they paid no heed. Blair would have rolled her eyes, but she knew she couldn't because she had to lead a herd of stupid horses to water and make them drink. The director of the movie in her head screamed action, and Blair took it.

With eyes as wide as saucers, Blair abruptly rocketed to her feet, startling the minions who now stared at her in surprise. Blair sent a message to her fingers to release the yogurt in her hands, and on queue it fell from seemingly numb tips. The minions scooted back to avoid the spray and then avidly followed the gaze of their Queen. It was then that they saw him.

His lean body was clothed in an impeccable suit, and while he wore sunglasses, they didn't hide the handsomeness of his face, or the fact that he smelled of money and sexuality, which went into hyper-drive as he took his shades off and scanned the steps till his eyes landed on Blair. Blair had already started to move, as if drawn to him, down a couple of steps.

Their eyes met at the same instant.

"Blair!" He half shouted with desire and reverence.

As if answering his call, she flew down the stairs, nearly leaping from the last one and hurling herself into his arms, where he caught her and swung her around. She was careful to have her feet tip up, ankles perfectly arched to give the impression of pure want.

He brought them to a stop and carefully lowered her to her ground until one then the other of her dainty feet were planted securely in front of him. He looked down into her eyes and she gazed up at him, taking his face between her palms.

"Carter!"

TahDAH! So they have a plan... and Chuck rightfully hates it. And after having written this piece before I wrote this AN I just realized that I probably haven't made people with ill feelings towards Blair like her any better with this chapter. Trust me? It'll be good! A little drama, but always CB. There's more drama coming. Carter won't be around forever... and then I gots me another idea...

I also wanted to show my support and gratitude for all the amazing people at the Save Chuck and Blair campaign for being so supportive of CB and the CB fans. They take on the frontlines and it's not always an easy place to be. On Monday feel free to tweet "Save the Butterflies" in support of the CB fans.

Oh, and I just realized I may have confused people with their plan? I'm going to lay it out better next chapter to make it super clear... I just wanted to end with "Carter!" because if you read my stuff you know I love me a cliffhanger... to write. All the fic writers that I love out there... stop doing cliffhangers! So annoying... I kid.


	14. Chapter 14

Hello! Okay so the visitor count really has taken a hit after the last episode (if you're reading this, then clearly you're still here... but where did everyone else go? Is there an echo in here?), so I was talking to a lovely person about ideas. She said to add more hot sex. So, I guess I should listen. I'll go with her suggestion. Hot sex. Blair will have hot sex with Carter. Wait? What? Is that right? What the people want? Non? I kid. But regardless I feel like I will probably be losing some more of you. I'm not going anywhere... but if everything we've heard about tomorrow is worse then many people even thought... I'm expecting another drop in visitor counts. Don't worry, I get it. For some people... with everything going on in the show it makes CB hard to handle even in fic form. To everyone who's staying I can only promise that I will try to stay true to what I believe. Chuck and Blair are inevitable and share a love that keeps them and us holding on. I ship CB hard, and my fics will continue to reflect that. And I send a massive hug to all the CBs. FYI you know I'm going to drop a twitter support for tomorrow night, right? "Victor/Victrola". We all know why. Here we go...

Carter held the door open to his limo and signaled her to proceed inside. Blair glanced over her shoulder to give her coy unexpecting look, that she'd practiced for two hours last night, to the crowd that watched with jaws agape and cellphones snapping. Her gaze swept the faces so fast they passed like a blur, but she paused. She was supposed to hover on Nate, let him read the look of guilt in her eyes before she climbed into the car with Carter, and for a moment she did that... until like a magnet her eyes were pulled to the boy standing beside Nate. Chuck's eyes, amber in the filtered sunlight, seemed to smolder with a emotion she wouldn't bring herself to try to name, but it held her and nearly pulled her off focus. Carter's hand on her elbow brought her back and she gave her head a mental shake, looking away from the boy who seemed to hold more and more of her, to the one she was pretending to have connected with.

She was so discombobulated that she was caught off guard by Carter's hands catching her face and quickly coming in to passionately kiss her shocked mouth. Blair instantly jerked to pull away, but then she remembered they had an audience and forced herself to relax in his arms and allow him to kiss her, letting it look real, letting everyone see. Finally he pulled away and stepped back to allow her into the car.

She slipped into the limo and Carter followed in after her, and the limo pulled away within seconds. Flustered but not wanting to show him she eyed him coolly.

"The kiss?"

A wicked grin curved his lips as his eyes ate her up. "I like to play it by ear, beautiful." He then extended his hand in introduction. "Carter Baizen."

"Blair Waldorf." She introduced politely before her voice sharpened and she commanded him with narrowed eyes. "Don't go off book again."

Back on the sidewalk Nate watched the limo pull away with disbelieving eyes.

"Did you see that?"

"It was hard to miss..." Chuck breathed, burying how much the scene was personally affecting him. He wanted to kill Carter. A kiss with Blair had never been part of the arrangement. The site of Baizen's lips eating Blair's left a sour taste in Chuck's mouth, one he knew a bottle of scotch had the best chance of dampening, but right now he had a part to play. "Blair seemed to know him pretty well..."

"I bet that was him!" Nate angrily declared.

"Him who?" Chuck asked obtusely.

"The other guy..." Nate told him distractedly. "The guy she slept with this summer!"

"Really... You would have thought she'd have more refined taste than Carter Baizen..."

Nate turned to look at him incredulously. "You know him?"

Chuck took a breath as if contemplating a question. "I've seen him around the boarding school circuit... I don't know Blair that well... but it strikes me as odd..."

"What?" Nate, like a puppet moving to Chuck's command, took the bate.

"Carter has quite the reputation..."

"And?"

"And it's not good... Let's just say... he makes me look like an angel." Chuck drawled. "I'm just surprised Blair would fall for a guy like that..."

"You need to tell me everything!" Nate burst out.

"Of course, Nathaniel, oh course..." Chuck drawled. "But first? Let's go get high."

Later that day, as evening changed to night, Blair finally walked back into her room. She was exhausted. After driving away with Carter, they'd gone to lunch, making sure they were seated at the most visible table in a very busy restaurant. She'd been charming and witty and flirty throughout the meal, and made sure that every moment showed off her apparent captivation with her dinner partner. She had to admit, Carter was handsome... but something about him... just didn't do it for her. It was like she had someone else on her mind...

But she played it well, so well that all she wanted to do is crawl into bed and sleep for a year. She'd probably added three laugh lines to face with all the fake smiling she'd had to do this afternoon. With a weary slope to her shoulders she walked into her closet, sitting down to strip off her shoes. She was taking off her earrings as she walked back into her bed room, and paused only briefly upon seeing him spread out on her bed.

"Carter." She greeted blandly as she dropped her jewels into the box on her vanity. "Hasn't it been enough for today?"

"Really, Beautiful?" Carter smiled at her. "Does any man ever get enough of you?"

"It doesn't seem to be the case... but I don't think I need to ask you the same question, now do I? In the short time of our acquaintance I've already felt like I've had more than I'll ever need of time with you."

He placed his hands on his chest in mock pain. "You wound me!"

"Please." She drawled pettily, knowing his type. Handsome, sexy... shallow and bored. A combination that abounded in their circles. It made them predictable loose cannons. People without goals and too much time on their hands got up to destructive mischief. Blair Waldorf had actual goals, and while she loved a good scheme or takedown, she also had her eye on the prize. She wanted Yale. She wanted to climb and build until she was on top, and what she wanted took work.

With his ever present smile he shoved himself up and jumped off her bed, catching her up in his arms. "Let's go dancing!"

She looked at him like he was small and took a step back in his arms. She would have moved fully away but he kept hold of her hands. Her voice dripped acid as she spoke. "I don't think so. This is where we say goodnight and you go home."

"I haven't got a home." He pouted, not giving up. "And besides... I've found such great... pleasure in your company so far."

"Your hotel room then, the one that Chuck paid for. Go there and feel free to pleasure yourself." Blair dropped in the more polite meaning of what she meant.

Carter just smiled wider. Blair's lip curled is disgust. This didn't stop him from leaning in to try and kiss her again.

It was then that the kiss was stopped by the arrival of a new player.

"Am I interrupting?" Chuck commented from where he lounged in her doorway.

Carter moved away with a nod to Chuck. "Bass."

"Baizen." Chuck returned coldly.

Looking back at Blair, Carter made a show of kissing her cheek before wordlessly leaving, ducking around an unmoving Chuck. For long minutes Blair and Chuck stood quietly, short meters apart from each other. She could tell he was angry. He could tell that she knew this and he knew she didn't think he had a reason to be.

She suddenly sniffed the air, then her eyes narrowed on his and she stepped closer. "Are you stoned?"

"I'm mellow..." He said pushing himself off the doorframe. "There's a difference..."

He walked to the bed like he was going to sit down but then he noticed the flattened state of the duvet. It had clearly been lain across. His eyes swung over to her.

She rolled her dark eyes. "Yes. I couldn't restrain myself. I met him and had to have him. Oh, baby, oh baby."

He made a sour face as her sarcasm hit him like wet fish in the face. "You've been known to fall quickly to passion before..." He derided.

She cocked her head to the side. "How small the male mind can be sometimes. No wonder you all have started so many wars. But no. While I may have rapidly engaged in activities with you, it did not open a flood gate and lead me to bed every man that shows interest, let alone Carter Baizen."

While inside him something relaxed at the knowledge she had no interest in Carter, he showed no external reaction. Instead he focused on something else... something that had been pressing on his mind and something he wanted to call back into hers. Judging by the flush to her skin and the uptake in her breath, it was already there.

"You mean sexual activities?" He played innocent but his voice dropped to a sensual timber that he knew gave her a physical reaction.

"What?" Her mouth felt cottoned.

"I'm just trying to be sure I know exactly what you are referring to..."

"Huh?" She croaked as his tone conjured images in her mind. Images of him.

He let the very hint of a smile edge the corner of his mouth. "The activities we engaged in... I assume you mean... sexual activities."

Her eyes followed his hands as they stroked down his tie. She swallowed hard and then tried to clear her throat. She was only partially successful, which is why she hated the tiny break that creaked her voice when she made clear. "Yes. Our sexual activities."

She knew he was playing with her. She'd like to say it was turning her off... but she was beginning to think there was nothing this boy could do to cause that affect. And that suddenly scared the hell out of her. She couldn't let him think he held all the cards. It was time to Blair Waldorf him. She walked to her full length mirror, letting her hips sway as she did, and once there she absently started undoing the buttons on her crisp white blouse. She knew from where she stood that Chuck could see her from both in front and behind, but she pretended it wasn't even a thought in her mind.

"What are you doing..." He asked as if he was being strangled.

"Pardon me?" She glanced over her shoulder to peek at him with hooded eyes.

It was his turn to clear his throat before he repeated. "What are you doing?"

She shrugged slightly before turning back to her own image in the glass. She appeared to contemplate her body as she let the blouse slip off her shoulders, catching it with the tips of her fingers and then laying it across the back of a chair.

"It's been a tiring day... I'm turning in for the night..." She pouted.

Then, to his desperate disbelief, her fingers found the side zipper to her skirt and soon that too was laying over the chair as well. His eyes clung to her curves, barely hidden under her silken slip, as she straightened and again seemed to check her image in the mirror.

"Should I go..." He said, trying to make light of everything. Trying to not let on how desperately he wanted her.

"Why? As you've pointed out... we have engaged in sexual activities before... I don't have anything you haven't seen... or touched in the past."

He nearly choked, and still in his head he added in "Or tasted", in his mind. The images whipped around his head.

"How true." He said mildly. "I was just dropping by to say that the plan is on track. Nate spent the afternoon moaning over the idea of you and Carter."

Her eyes found his in the mirror and she smiled like a cat with a canary. "Why do I get the sense that he wasn't alone in that...?"

His jaw tightened and a muscle in it twitched. His hands clenched into fists. He didn't move another muscle because he knew if he did he'd be on her, around her, in her... and in this instance... he knew that would be letting her win. Somehow they'd fallen into a game... and he wasn't prepared to lose just yet. And since that was the case... he had to get out of there fast.

"Whatever do you mean?" He mused. "But as you said... you've had a long day... while my night is young."

He knew what he was implying, and by the slight flare of her eyes he knew she knew it as well.

"Don't let me keep you... Or perhaps I never could?" It was the closest she'd ever hinted to one of her basic fears of him, that she could never keep him, never hold onto him. He was a comet and how did you hold that? Could a comet even want to stay?

They were at an odd standstill with very little left to say other than in this moment.

"Goodnight, Blair."

"Goodnight, Chuck.

TahDAH! As I wrote this I mistakenly have the Walking Dead on again. Why do I do this to myself? I'm not making good decisions this weekend. I'm kind of broke but I bought a new lip gloss even though I'm down to one and a half rolls of toilet paper. That's probably going to bite me on the ass before payday... hopefully not literally. Plus side? My lips look awesome.

Oh, and for those of you who like my ANs... I have a story. I went out to a club with some new friends the other night. It got weird. I'm not a professional dancer. I move well to the beat, but I'd never claim moves. These girls? The weirdest dancers I've ever seen. Like... I have no words. Like I perhaps thought I was suddenly in an SNL sketch? I had two thoughts that night... one, were they really good dancers but I'd just never experienced their level, and two, I was not nearly drunk enough.


	15. Chapter 15

Hello! As some of my reader, okay many of you would know... I am evil to my belly sometime. Easter? Down right cruel. I just ate a salad, good for me... and 9 candy covered marshmallow eggs... I had to hide them on myself. I know. Good luck with that to me. And now I can't decide if I'm hot or cold... is that a sign of some kind of coma? If I took my pants off to write this would you know? And as I wrote that I looked over and saw another little egg peaking at me... Here we go...

"I'm going to do it." Nate declared.

"Of course you are..." Chuck mused as he took another deep drag from the joint in his hand. He'd been listening to Nate talk himself up all evening and it was really ruining Chuck's buzz.

"I'm serious Chuck. This is it." Nate said as he stayed unmoving in the corner of the party, but his eyes watched her every move. "We always planned on going together. It's perfect. She's perfect. We're perfect together. She'll see that when we're at the Debutante Ball together."

"Yes... I'm sure when she thinks of perfection... your name is exactly what comes to mind..."

"Totally!" Nate looked over at Chuck with a huge smile and Chuck barely refrained from rolling his eyes. They both knew what was unsaid. Nate planned on asking her to the Ball, making it one of the most romantic nights of Blair's life... and ending the evening by going back to her place and using the tainted condoms. Nate was pining all his hopes on conceiving a baby, because with each day he felt Blair move further and further away from him, and it was driving him crazy. It also didn't help that Chuck kept him up on all the spottings of Blair and Carter.

"So what are you waiting for, tiger? Go ask her." Chuck encouraged as a stream of smoke wafted out of the corner of his mouth.

"I will." Nate said looking back at Blair who sat with Serena and a handful of minions on the other side of the room.

The party was pre-bash before the Deb Ball, and given that it was an unofficial party, and not known to any of the parents, it was bound to heat up later, but as of now everyone was relatively sober and holding all their mental capacities. The night was still young.

The hum filling Hazel's parent's apartment was beginning to grow. The music was creeping up, the laughter was getting louder, and the drinks were flowing freer. Blair held court with her minions, dispatching them through the party to spark mischief and bring her back gossip. She sat back in her chair, martini in hand, and watched it all with a smirk curving her lips. It was good to be Queen. Through the throngs of the creme of Manhattan's teenagers, Blair's eyes returned again and again to the amber eyed boy across the room, and as she watched the smoke slip from his perfect lips... she was sure he was giving off smoke signals just for her.

Blair had the sudden thought to suck the smoke from his lips, to drink from him, to drink him. She felt a flush rush over her skin and quickly took a sip from her glass. Serena looked at her knowingly for a moment, but then shrugged and got up to go speak to a rugby player she'd had her eye on all night.

It seemed to take forever, but after many missed catches, Chuck and Blair's eyes finally met. A jolt ran through them both. In that instant they wanted nothing more than to slip away and find the nearest bedroom, closet, stairwell or butler's pantry and give in to the electricity that had been building for... what felt like forever. Chuck shifted forward. Blair uncrossed her legs to stand. But they froze as they felt the room shift, silence then whispers waved over the party and it didn't take long for one name to come through.

"Carter Baizen."

Both Chuck and Blair had known this was coming, it was part of the plan... and yet rather than thrilling with anticipation of the next phase of their plan, they felt a sense of disappointment at now being locked into their places.

Carter walked with purpose through the party, without a pause in his step the crowds parted for him until he was standing in front of her. Like a knight he dropped to one knee in before her.

She put on an air of confusion. "Carter?"

He took her hand and raised it to his lips, kissing it softly, his eyes locked with hers as if she were the only one in the room. "Blair Waldorf... will you do me the pleasure of letting me escort you to your Debutant Ball?"

"Yes..." She breathed as if take aback.

Everything moved slowly as he kissed her and she had to kiss him back. He sat by her side all night and played smitten, and a party that had once been filled with possibilities was now tedious and long. When it finally got late enough that she could leave and still keep status, she began to make excuses, and Carter rose with her, vowing publicly to see her safely home. They were headed to the elevator, with all eyes on them, when her elbow was caught out of nowhere.

"Blair." Nate said her name earnestly. "What are you doing?"

He hadn't seen her being asked because he'd been getting a drink, but he'd quickly heard the details.

"I'm leaving." Blair said innocently. "Is there something you needed?"

The confusion came to his eyes but he tried again. "I have to talk to you..."

"Nate, that's sweet, but now really isn't the time. And Carter's promised to see me home, and besides, Mother will want to meet my Deb escort..."

He looked stunned as she pulled her elbow from his grasp and disappeared into the elevator. The last thing she saw as the doors slid shut was Chuck swooping in to whisper in Nate's ear.

The next day Blair stood in one of her Mother's fitting rooms, clad in the Deb dress that had been maid for her. It was her final fitting and the seamstress had stepped out, leaving Blair alone to contemplate the dress on her body alone.

Images flashed into her mind, and her brain was suddenly spinning ideas of Chuck slipping into the room at this very moment, turning her around, and pressing her against the cool glass of the mirror. She could practically feel the cool air on her thighs as he lifted the hem of her dress... When she heard the fitting room door open, she caught her breath thinking that her fantasy was going to come to life, but it was dashed as she saw Nate appear behind her.

"Nate? What are you doing here?" She asked, actually caught off guard. "You shouldn't be here.

"Blair..." His eyes ate her up. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you. Now leave." She dismissed.

"I have to talk to you." He insisted.

"Fine. You have five minutes." She conceded.

He stopped, unsure because he hadn't thought he'd get this far.

"Tick, tock." She snapped as she went back to examining her image.

"He's the guy, isn't he?"

"I'm not going to answer that." She said coolly.

"Are you sleeping with him now?"

"Im _really_ not going to answer that." She scoffed.

"Blair, this is serious... are you?"

She lowered her gaze. "No... if you must know... we want to make it special..."

"Special?" He croaked. Having known her all his life he knew what that meant. She meant after the Deb ball.

He was brought out of his haze as Eleanor entered the small room. "Blair... you look, lovely."

It was then that she spotted Nate. "Oh, hello Nathaniel... What are you doing here? I thought you broke up? Blair? I thought Cyrus told me you and Nathaniel broke up?"

"We did, Mother." Blair put on her sweetest voice. "Nate was just leaving."

At the pointed dismissal Nate had nothing left to do but leave. Eleanor watched her daughter carefully, and then moved to stand behind her, pulling and adjusting the dress here and there. Having been in this moment a million times, Blair stood still for all the tweaking. The perfect daughter.

"What are you up to?"

Blair's eyes shot up and clashed with her mother's in the mirror. For an instant she longed for the days when she was an after thought to her mother.

"Hmm?" She asked with raised, innocent brows.

Eleanor rolled her eyes, and took Blair by the shoulders to gently turn her so they were face to face. Blair was looking down, and Eleanor bent one knuckle to softly nudge up her daughter's chin to get Blair to look up at her. Her mother's daughter, Blair met a gaze that now saw too much.

"I don't know what's going on... but, please... just be careful."

Blair smiled and her eyes twinkled. "I always am."

"Humph." Eleanor smiled. "It's a good thing we keep Cyrus on retainer."

Dorota had just seen the spa crew out, and after a day of pampering and beauty, Blair was getting dressed and ready for the Ball. She stood in her closet, clad in only the smallest of strapless bras, and tight and lacy matching black panties as she bent at the waist to pick up her shoes. She didn't hear him or see him, but she knew he was there. She stood up slowly, letting his eyes take their fill.

She turned to look at him and the pulse throbbed in them both. Her pupils dilated and all she saw was him. She wanted more. He wanted more. She launched herself at him, and their mouths consumed each other, never breaking, never getting enough as they moved backwards into her room and fell, connected, onto her bed. She ripped at his clothes. He pulled at her lace.

He had come to her tonight because he had no choice. He wanted her, more than anything, he wanted her. The thought of her and any other guy brought rage into his gut, and while he'd actively planned tonight, he couldn't let her go without reminding her of the passion they shared.

Blair thrilled that he was there, in her bed, in her arms, and very soon to be in her. If she was going to have to dance attendance on someone else tonight, she wanted a taste of Chuck to get her through.

Their passion was like a firestorm and it consumed them both till they climaxed in a heap of shuddering and quaking limbs. He cursed. She swore. They fell apart, came together again, and then fell apart. It felt like dying, but wanting to.

After there was no time. Dorota was calling from the other side of the locked door. Blair was hurriedly trying to right her makeup and hair, as Chuck helped her into her dress. Hearing Eleanor's voice added to the command that Blair come downstairs, Blair quickened her pace to the door. As her fingers touched the lock, Chuck's hands clamped down on her hips, and pulled her against his naked chest. She felt his breath on the back of her neck and her eyes rolled back in her head.

"Tonight... At the Ball..." He husked.

"Yes...?" She wanted to know.

"Do you think they will smell me on you...? Will you want them to?" His mouth swooped in to suck her neck, and she gasped at his words and the sensations his lips were causing.

With the same suddenness of how he captured her, he know released her. Breathless she fled the room, because she knew if she didn't she might not be able to.

Carter was there, prompt and perfect, and Cyrus and Dorota took no less than two dozen photos a piece of Blair alone, and Blair with her date. Finally Eleanor stepped in and the couple were sent off, they wouldn't see them again until Blair was presented to all of the UES's society.

It went off perfectly. Blair stood looking out over the crowd and knew she was not only elite, but knew she was set to rule it all... whether they liked it or not. Her only problem was with her date. As they danced he held her too close, he leaned in too near... and she had to pretend to love it all, but the problem was she wished another was on her arm. She wished the boy who watched her like a hawk was the one on her arm and in them.

Later in the evening, after it was mostly just the teens left, the only thing left was the big finish, but only three people there knew it was coming. When he wasn't watching Blair, Chuck had been whispering to Nate all night. He'd filled the other boy's mind with ideas... of Blair and Carter... Of Blair and Carter going back to her room because he'd heard that Eleanor and Cyrus had left for Paris after Blair's presentation... Of Blair and Carter going carnal... with the condoms Nate had left punctured in her room...

With every word from Chuck's mouth, Nate grew paler and paler. He flushed and sweated as the panic grew within him, and as he watch Carter take her hand and start to lead her down the sloped staircase that would eventually have them through the throngs of UESers and out of the building, Nate erupted.

"Blair!" He screamed and both she and Carter froze, which also had every eye in the room turning to them.

Nate skipped down the stairs till the three were a tableau on the ornate setting, perfect in their beauty... and things were about to get ugly.

"Nate..." Blair said in warning, but instead of a hiss, she let her voice raise to be heard. "What are you doing?"

"I can't let you do it!" He half shouted, and Blair nearly rolled her eyes. She'd thought she'd have to push him to raise his voice so that he'd be heard in Queens, but it turned out that he was going there all on his own.

"Do what?" She asked and appeared confused.

"You can't leave with him!"

"You need to step back." Carter said firmly and placed a hand on Nate's chest to send the message for him to do as he had said.

"I can't do that... and I can't let you do this either!" Nate rushed.

"Do what?" She demanded again, trying to push him, needing to push him, and seeing how close he was she could almost taste it.

"You can't sleep with him!" Nate said adamantly.

"Why!" Blair pushed as she was nearly blinded by flashes and tingled as she sensed that every second of this was being filmed by dozens of angles. Gossip Girl should add her to her Christmas card list for this one.

"Because I poked holes in your condoms!"

Yahtzee! Blair's mind screamed. Her face held nothing but shock, and the collective gasp that echoed through the room nearly sucked the air out of the whole place.

"Why would you do that?" Blair said with a perfect pitch of horror.

"Because! I wanted you! Us! Forever!" He tried to grab her hands. "So what if we had a baby a little sooner than we'd planned... we're going to get married someday... why not start now?"

She slapped his hands away and looked at him with the honest contempt she felt for him. "You disgust me! Never come near me again!"

She turned on her heel and like a regal Queen she stormed away. With a smirk at the mortified boy, Carter followed her.

As he stood, dumfounded on the steps, Nate became aware of the eyes of every girl in his world locked on him. Every last one of them were filled with disgust and scorn. These girls were not ones to let fate take them down. Yes, they played hard, but they also worked hard. They wanted to be the best. The best in their perfect, private schools, the best in their choice Ivy, the best in music, art, math, literature. The best in life. They wanted to be on top, not just now, but always. They had aspirations. They had plans. And none of those plans involved getting pregnant in High School.

Nathaniel Archibald, former King of St. Jude's, if not all of the UES teens, looked out on the condemning crowd and knew... he was never getting laid again.

TahDAH! So, there it is. Their plan. Get Nate to confess in front of a crowd that would condemn him more than anyone else could ever manage. Clear? Questions? I estimate... a few more chapters? Maybe a couple more surprises up my sleeve?

I also debated the CB sex. I wasn't sure if I should have it after the Ball... but I felt if I cock-blocked them for another chapter that would be too much. As you know if you read my stuff... I'm not a big writer of smut, but here's hoping that what I did write worked for the chapter.

I snark a lot at work. A lot. I have fun doing it. My boss is awesome, and luckily gets my sense of humour. I... perhaps pushed her too far today... and she snapped at me (rightfully so, I must admit). To a certain extent... authority figures snapping at me? Doesn't bother me. I like to push, joke and tease, and I'd be lying if I said that I'd never pushed too far. The snap and tone? I kind of find it helpful. I'm like, "Oops! To far. Now I know the limit. Learning experience." I'm a gem I tell you.

The egg is still looking at me...


	16. Chapter 16

Hello! How is everyone tonight? Daylight Savings treating you well? I am not tired. I only sleep like 5-6 hours a night. This will not help. Oh, and I have a phone interview tomorrow morning. I'm going to have to be up and awake for 6am. I should go to bed now? But... I feel like watching old GG episodes. I think the Lost Boy is one of my favourite episode. Love it. Love them. Sigh. The good old days. I'm hoping for good new days sometime soon, preferably before the end of the season. The Walking Dead is causing me less stress than GG and they kill people off ALL the time. Here we go...

Blair sat in the back of the limo and sighed contentedly. She lay her head against the leather headrest and looked up out of the window at the lit buildings that seemed to stretch to the sky. This moment was perfect. Almost. She wasn't with who she most wanted to be with at the moment.

Speaking of her lacking company, she felt his breath on her neck as he leaned forward.

"I have to say... that was perfect. You're brilliant..." He tried to take her hand but she pulled it away.

"What? We've won. It's time to celebrate." He moved in closer.

Blair shuddered with disgust and shoved him away. "Ew."

Even the disdain in her voice didn't deter Carter. "Blair... we made a great team... the energy between us-"

"Exists only in your mind." Blair told him coolly. "Carter, you were a soldier. Chuck and I were the generals. The battle is over and it's time to you to go home to your girl and try not to give her the Clap."

"You're playing hard to get..." He murmured. "That's turning me on."

Blair pressed the intercom and spoke to the driver. "Pull over. Mr. Baizen needs some fresh air."

"You can't be serious?"

"Goodnight, Carter."

He looked at her like she was crazy, but at her deadly stare he rolled his eyes and climbed out of the car.

An hour later she sat in her bedroom and waited for her true partner in crime.

Chuck strode into her bedroom after finally extracting himself from Nathaniel, and had gone straight to where she was, and where she was was in her bedroom, laying across her bed, wearing scraps of black lace and surrounded by candles.

Every drop of blood in his body rushed straight to his groin. His mouth went dry and he had to loosen his collar before he spoke.

"Victory suits you..." He murmured.

She smiled and it moved from her lips to her eyes and he felt like he was lit on fire. He wanted her to look at him like that forever. He swallowed hard. Spotting a bucket of champaign and two glasses, he strode over to it, feeling her eyes on him the whole way. He popped the cork, half filled each glass, and handed her one. She raised her glass and he clinked his to hers, smiling back at her.

There were a million things he wanted to say, but in this moment he knew she was right. She hadn't spoken a word, and as it turned out neither needed to. He took her glass, setting them both aside. He moved to kneel on the bed beside her and took her face in his hands. The kiss, which was passionate yes, was more than that. It was as if they were everything the other could ever need.

Hours later Carter Baizen walked into the Waldorf apartment after bribing a doorman, and headed upstairs, prepared to make another go at Blair. Although neither had said anything, Carter had a feeling there was something between Blair and Chuck, and that had added fuel to his fire for her. One, she was hot and he most definitely had planned to screw her since he'd first seen her on the steps of the Met, and two he had a strong feeling that it would really get under Chuck's skin.

Upstairs he pushed open her door, already ready with a line, already ready. He paused when he found the room half lit with candles that burned low, but that wasn't what he focused on. All he really saw was the sleeping couple in the centre of the bed, clearly naked under the sheet and wrapped around each other.

Carter scowled as he backed out of the room, but it was soon replaced by a knowing smile as an idea came to him. He was walking down the stairs as he pulled out his cell and had dialed by the time he'd stepped into the elevator.

"Well, hello to you to." His eyes twinkled as he heard the voice on the other end. "You will never guess where I am and who I'm with... okay, you will, but what's say you come out and play?"

This was going to be fun.

The following Friday Blair walked through the halls of school, triumphant. Nate was a pariah and she was the heroine. She'd quickly distanced herself from Carter, saying that she couldn't possibly be with him right now given everything that had happened.

She'd also seen Chuck every night. It was only the last couple of nights that had gotten... awkward. It would seem, against all rumours to the contrary, that Chuck Bass was a relationship guy.

It was earlier in the week, as they'd been lying in her bed and Blair's head was on his shoulder as she contentedly played with his chest hair that he started to voice his wishes.

"I think we should go public."

"With what?" She asked innocently which really couldn't be helped because her brain was still fuzzy around the edges from the last hour with Chuck.

"With us." He emphasized.

"Us?" His tone and implication had her mind clearing. She quickly propped herself up on an elbow to look down at him.

"Yes. The you and me that makes up an us... and the next words out of your mouth cannot be in the form of a question."

Her mouth, that had been hanging open, snapped shut.

He raised a brow in amusement. "Well... I believe that sensation you're experiencing is called speechlessness. Novel for you, I'd imagine?"

She scowled at his clear mirth and slapped his shoulder before falling back on the pillows. "You're not funny." She pouted.

"I wasn't trying to be." He commented as he moved to lean over her now. "I want us. Think about it."

Apparently he meant over the next 24hrs, because the very next night he was asking for her answer. Blair wanted to say yes, everything in her did... but she'd never been more frightened of anything in her life. Everything she felt for him was extreme, like nothing she'd ever felt before. It's what made the answer obvious.

"No."

"No?'

"No." She told him clearly with a chirp to voice and tried to hug his stiffening frame to her. "I like things the way they are."

"I see." He said sitting up, and throwing his legs over the side of the bed.

Blair sat up to. "Hey! Where are you going?"

He stood and walked over to where his silk boxers had landed and started to tug them on. "I don't."

"You don't what?" She asked as her voice rose in pitch, and she held the sheet to her chest as he now got his pants on.

He was pulling his shirt on and he had started on the buttons before he answered her. "I don't like things the way they are. I want a commitment. I want public. In short, Waldorf, I want it all. And until then..." He zipped up his pants with a snap. "Until then you're getting nothing."

"You can't be serious..." She said incredulously.

He raised a brow, mocking her, grabbed his jacket and walked out the door.

They'd been in a standoff ever since. So now she walked down the halls of the school, knowing his eyes found her everywhere. And every moment and every remembrance of every moment had added a skip to her step, a step that slowed as she spotted him standing against a wall by the library door. From beneath her lashes her eyes beckoned him, and she tilted her head again ever so slightly. All of her signals passed in an instant, but he caught them all. He waited for several minutes before following her into the library, around the tables and deep into the rows of books. He found her waiting for him, leaning against the back wall of books, the heel of one Louboutin resting on the first shelf. Like magnets they lock together, their mouths fusing wetly.

Her hands were on his belt when he pulled his mouth away. "Have you changed your mind?"

"No." She tried to catch his lips again.

He caught her hands and pulled them away from his crotch. "Then... I'll ask you to keep your hands to yourself, Waldorf."

"I came in here for a book... You came in here for...?" She murmured seductively as she rubbed her body against his.

Chuck caught her tight in his arms, holding her still, but mostly holding her. His jaw tightened and he shut his eyes for a moment. And for a moment... she thought she'd won and it tasted sublime. Until he spoke.

His voice was so low and slow that if she hadn't been pressed so closely to him she wouldn't have heard him.

"I don't want to play this game forever-"

"Good! Take your pants off!" She chirped.

"I want what I want." He practically growled. "You have until tomorrow to decide."

"What?"

"We should be together. So are you brave enough or aren't you? I'll be waiting at the top of the Empire State Building."

"You can't Affair to Remember me." She bit out trying to shove herself out of his arms.

"If you're not there tomorrow, at 7:01 I'm closing my heart to you forever."

She scowled at him. "It's not your heart I'm after, Bass."

"Then I guess I know where you won't be tomorrow night..." And with that he was gone.

Needless to say Blair got no sleep Friday night. Neither did Dorota. She spent the night splitting her time between bemoaning and then cursing that she ever set eyes on Chuck Bass. Saturday morning she had her usual beauty team come in, insisting to Dorota that she was getting ready for nothing out of the ordinary... other than possibly going out with Serena that night, but both she and Dorota knew her mind was on the clock and her time running out.

At 6:11pm she sat in her room and stared at the clock and as the hands changed she flew to her feet. "Dorota! Get my coat!"

She raced to the ESB and it seemed to take forever to get to the top, but when the doors opened and she checked her phone she saw that she had six whole minutes to spare. She moved quickly through the light crowds, search him out, but ten minutes later she came to a confused stop. He wasn't there.

She checked her phone again, asked a tourist and doubled checked to make sure Daylight Savings Time hadn't been moved again. Nothing. Her shoulders fell a little as she waited. She waited until the fall chill was too much, and in that time she convinced herself that something had happened. Something must have happened for him not to have shown up. Blair tried to call him. No answer. Instead... she swallowed her pride and took action.

The Bass-Van Der Woodsen penthouse was quiet as she entered. Given the time of evening that didn't surprise Blair, and she'd expect Lily and Bart to be out at dinner. She had no reason to be nervous. He'd most likely just lost track of the time.

She went to the bedrooms and while Serena's was firmly shut, Chuck's was ajar. Blair's heart was in her throat and crazily enough every protective instinct in her was screaming for her to go to the other door, but Blair wasn't one to run... so she pushed the door open.

While she hadn't made a sound, she still caught the attention of the girl lying in the centre of Chuck's bed. The other girl's hair was impossibly long and other than her mass amounts of eye shadow she wore only one of Chuck's shirts.

Blair had never seen her before in her life and her numb brain could only think of one thing to ask. "Who are you?"

The half-naked girl smiled maliciously at Blair. "I'm Georgina Sparks. And you must be the cheap piece that's screwing my boyfriend?"

TahDAH! OooOooooOoo! So Georgina is here. I'll explain more in the next chapter. I'm kind of glad she's gone on the show for a while because I like her better in moderation. I'm not going to focus on the fact that both C and B owe her a favour apparently?

So, I'm actually going to start wrapping this story up. I just like to give people a head's up before I do so. I said the same thing about ITY and it's still going... but I really mean it this time!

Oh, and for those of you who are wondering... I ate the egg.


	17. Chapter 17

Hello! Do you know what I really love about design shows? When a decorator does something that is just horrific... like... maybe it's trendy for five minutes, but a few years from now that bathroom is going to be a nightmare. Like some of them KILL the resale value on the home. One husband was jazzed about a shower that lights up. There's the tacky issue, but there's also the matter of... who needs a shower to light up? It's to get you clean! ... and maybe have a little personal grownup time... but you don't need a light up shower head for that! Can you tell that stuck with me? Oh, and I'm also slightly irritable because I'm sticking to my "commitment to healthier choices" and NOT having the McFlurry I've been dreaming about for the last couple of hours. Can you hear me crying? Can you hear my tears splashing onto my keyboard? Frak. I better have lost at least a pound this week. Here we go...

"_I'm Georgina Sparks. And you must be the cheap piece that's screwing my boyfriend?"_

Blair felt like she'd walked into a bad movie and now everything was spinning, however one thing was clear, no matter what was going on her head, everything told her that she was not going to let this girl know that. With nary a flash of upset she wiped her face of all emotion and raised her chin with all the good breeding that was in her, which was substantial, and looked down her nose at the other girl.

Her tone mocked the other girl. "I'm sorry, your name doesn't ring a bell, and as to the other claim I'm unsure as to who you are referring."

Georgina's eyes narrowed slightly. She was used to bowling over everyone in her path, and taking down other girls was a specialty. After she'd talked to Carter she'd thought this girl would be no different, but reading her know G was coming to realize that Blair Waldorf was not a girl who allowed herself to be knocked over. Whatever, Georgie though, she loved a challenge and for some reason the idea of going after the doe eyed brunette got her blood going.

"Really?" Georgie raised a brow. "In that case you're welcome to stay. Join me... or should I say us? My boyfriend, Chuck, always likes it when we have an audience."

"As disgusting as that sounds I'm going to have to pass. I was only stopping by to see my best friend who happens to now be Chuck's sister. I'll leave you to it."

"Phew! That's a relief!" Georgie said with fake innocence and enthusiasm. "Because while Chuck and I have been together simply forever... we do have our off periods, like all couple do. I'm sure you get that. And while we're apart... well things happen, but he always comes back to me. First love it like that. But sometimes he rides some girl that thinks he's in her for the long term... and she goes stalker when she finds out she really was just a game to get my attention back to him. He has even gone so far as to ask other girls to be his girlfriend when I've ignored him too long. I almost feel sorry for them, so I'm so glad that isn't the case with you... now is it?"

Blair didn't even blink. With a cool smile she replied. "No, it's not. Now since Serena doesn't seem to be here... and you seem to be indisposed, I'll just leave."

Blair turned to leave but

"Are you sure I can't pass along a message for you?"

"That won't be necessary." Blair said coolly and walked out of the bedroom.

She kept going in even steps, all the way to the elevator and down to the car that was waiting for her. Her faces was emotionless the whole time, and stayed that way as she came home, handed her coat to Dorota, all the while ignoring her maid's probing eyes, and headed up to her room. She shut and locked the door and stood motionless in the centre of the room for long moments.

The sobs caught her by surprise, but when they started she couldn't stop them.

She told herself she didn't know why she was upset. He loved games, she knew that, and she shouldn't be surprised that she was just one of them, but that would be a lie because she hadn't seen this coming. She was known for her cool, unfazed manner, but underneath the ice, Blair Waldorf was all heart, and she'd followed hers down a rabbit's hole with Chuck, and so now she couldn't stop the sensations of being... heartbroken.

She barely knew him. She shouldn't have trusted him. She was a fool. Chuck Bass had made her a fool. As she lay on her bed she promised herself one thing. she would pull herself together and he would never know how much he hurt her... but tonight? She'd give herself tonight.

And with that she rolled over and gave into the heartache.

Chuck leaned against the wall outside the school, he would be pacing if he wasn't in public. He'd screwed up. He'd made the big play, had planned on being there, he had known she'd be there... and then Bart had insisted they all go out as a family. No cell phones allowed. As soon as he'd gotten home he'd tried to call her. He'd gone straight to his room, and for a moment he thought she'd been there waiting for him because his normally perfectly made up bed was rumpled, but after a quick search of his room he'd realized he'd been wrong. No one was there. He'd been texting and calling Blair ever since, but she hadn't replied. He'd tried going to her house but she'd refused to unlock her bedroom door. He'd tried yelling through it but she'd just turned on Mozart, and jacked it up louder and louder until he finally went away.

So now he stood there and waited for her in the one place he knew he'd find her. She wouldn't miss school for anything... however she was running later than he'd ever seen her.

Finally, just when he was about to give up, a town car pulled up and she got out. She didn't even pause when she saw him... if she did see him, because he wasn't sure because she looked right through him. As she moved to walk past him without a word he tried to catch her arm, tried to reach her, but she yanked her arm out of his grasp.

"Don't touch me." She said coldly and he was taken aback by the flash of near hatred in her eyes. If he hadn't been looking so intently at her he might have missed it because a heartbeat later it was replaced with an icy stare.

"Blair..." He tried again, trying to find the words to apologize, but it wasn't really his strong suit.

"Stay away from me!" She hissed and he moved back at her fervor.

Days later he still watched her. He watched her and waited for her to calm down so that he could talk to her. He'd even figured out how to apologize for not being there and after equal days of emotional and verbal torture he'd finally cinched an ally.

"He's sorry, B! He's really, really, annoyingly sorry!" Serena said for the millionth time since she'd come over Friday night after school and flopped onto her best friend's bed with dramatic flare.

Blair didn't answer and kept her eye glued on her Custom of the Country essay that she was finishing a week early.

"I told you. We were all at home, he was all gussied up to go and meet you, when Bart and my mom come in, take our phones and drag us out to dinner. You could tell he was a mess the whole time. B, his tie was crooked!"

Blair rolled her eyes but said nothing.

"B, you can talk to me! I'm your best friend!"

Blair began to proof read, but pointed out. "You've been compromised."

Serena sat straight up in a flurry of blonde hair and her hand went to her heart. "What? That hurts, Blair. That really hurts."

"You'll live." Blair said sarcastically, but smiled as she did her final check. Perfect.

"Fine. But since you're done with your paper let's go out!"

"Who says I'm done?" Blair grouched because she'd been planning on using it as her excuse to not go out.

"Because your face did that thing where you can see the A written on it already." Serena smirked.

"A+." Blair corrected but shut her laptop with a sigh. "But fine."

S perked up. "Really? You'll un-hermit yourself and head on out into the real world?"

"Your actions imply that you want me to come out with you, but your words tell me you're just asking for me to hit you upside the head, non?"

"Let's just go."

"Goody." Blair said drolly as she got up and went to the closet.

Chuck stood in the club nursing his drink and waiting. Waiting for her. He knew he couldn't be plowed off his ass because he'd need all his wits to spar his way back in with her, so he allowed himself only one drink to take the edge off. As the drink poured into him faster than he would have liked, leaving him with nothing but ice shaking in his glass, he knew his nerves were on edge, but it felt more. He knew after getting her to lay it all on the line and then being left high and dry at the top of a monument, she had a right to be pissed... but it felt like more. It felt like something else was going on as well.

He felt a warm familiar body slip up behind him and was confused for a moment. That's when he felt the hands creep up and cover his eyes, blocking out the club and leaving him in darkness and perfume.

Blair and Serena walked into the club and it was as if every eye shot to them. Serena was used to this, but she knew that tonight nobody was looking at her. Blair was in red. You couldn't ignore her in red and this night she'd done everything in her power to play up the dark seduction of her looks. Blair was very good at this.

Given the eyes on them at the entrance to the club, it was easy to spot what seemed to be the only to they didn't have the attention of. Chuck was at the bar passionately sucking face with his... girlfriend.

"Oh, my god." Serena squeaked.

After a week of prep time, Blair's reaction was more defined. "And _that's_ why I'm not talking to Chuck Bass."

TahDAH! I still have no McFlurry in my belly. And, dammit. My glue ear is back. So, this chapter was pretty short... forgive me. I might have just started writing about the mirage in my head of one of those Cadbury Cream Egg McFlurries. Seriously, the McDonald's is only a 10minute walk from my house and open 24hrs...


	18. Chapter 18

Hello! I should first start with a confession. I have now had a Cadbury Cream Egg McFlurry... and it was DELICIOUS! Don't judge me. You are though, right? I don't blame you. I'd lie and tell you I was hanging my head in shame... but it was to tasty to even do that. Here we go...

Serena yanked her eyes away from her new brother sucking face with some mystery girl to look at Blair. "Come on, B. Let's get out of here."

Blair cast her friend a sideway glance. "What? We're staying right here. Let's go get a booth."

WIth that Blair sauntered across the club, and Serena raised a brow as she watched every eye in the place train on her ass. Hell, Serena couldn't look away either. Had Blair always had that behind? Impressive. While she knew she shouldn't... S was beginning to think she was going to enjoy this night.

Chuck tore his mouth away, having been lost in a kiss he'd had a million times before it had taken a minute to realize his present.

"Georgina..." Chuck muttered his greeting as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Charlie Boy..." She said with her husky voice and a smile as she leaned in to kiss him again.

He turned his head away.

"What's wrong?" She feigned innocence. "Don't tell me you're seeing someone?"

"Not exactly..."

"Good! Then what are we doing tonight... other than each other!" She laughed and he flinched.

He inched back from her, many wouldn't have noticed, but she did. Her face contorted for a brief instant but smoothed out again. Chuck took the moment to signal the bartender for another drink. He always tipped the man well and that and the Bass name usually brought instant service, but the man behind the bar seemed to be distracted, his eyes locked across the room and his jaw hung open. Chuck's jaw slid down and then up to his shoulder to look at what held the fascination. His jaw didn't drop. It tightened to steel.

"Blair..." He hissed under his breath.

His eyes narrowed on the booth that held two girls, but was surrounded by what seemed like half the men in the club. This was not the plan. Serena was supposed to get Blair here so he could talk to her, she was not supposed to help Blair entertain any guy with a pulse. He wondered if she even knew he was here? Then he saw her eyes lock on his over the rim of her martini glass. She knew.

He immediately started towards her, not even fully aware that Georgina followed closely in his wake. When they got there Serena went with the theme and giggled a hello at Chuck and even asked who his friend was, but it didn't matter. Blair had all of Chuck's attention, while he had none of hers. Blair's total focus was on the President of the St. Jude's student council. Serena and Chuck watched, her with surprise, him incredulously, as Blair laughed at the other boy's jokes, and touched his arm flirtatiously. Serena looked at her stepbrother with a smile, but it turned awkward when she saw his reaction. Anger and frustration and... jealously seemed to emanate out of him and Serena suddenly thought Blair's plan might not be the best idea after all...

Blair reached for her glass, and it was as if it was only then that she realized he was there. "Oh?" She asked with mild surprise and even less interest. "Hello."

"Blair..." He greeted with a clenched jaw as he watched her sip from her drink and turn her attention back to the other boy. Serena elbowed her as the seconds ticked by because it had to be the tensest moment she'd ever witnessed and she wanted to cut it.

"B..."

Blair sighed and turned her attention back to the group.

"Chuck." She sighed with apparent boredom and was scanning the group as if looking for someone of greater interest to speak with.

"So, Chuck?" Serena cut in to ask. "Who's your friend?"

He cleared his throat. "Georgina, this is my stepsister, Serena Van Der Woodsen and... Blair Waldorf. Serena and Blair, this is-"

"We've met." Blair cut off dismissively.

"Really...?" Chuck glanced between the two girls, but his eyes landed on Georgina. If they'd met it hadn't been pleasant. Meeting Georgina was never pleasant.

"Yes. Old friends... not as old as you and I but I feel we've bonded." She laughed and the noise grated on everyone. "Come on! We have so much in common... Well, one thing in common."

The way her eyes moved up and down his form left no doubt as to what, or more accurately who, she was referring to.

"Now, if you two will excuse us... Chuck's going to buy me a drink."

Chuck looked like that was just about the last thing he wanted, but Georgina's next words tipped the scale.

"Unless you'd like to stay here... and we can all get to know each other better... talk..."

"I'll meet you at the bar..." He bit out.

"I'm gonna go pee." Serena declared, wanting to get out of there suddenly.

A few of the guys followed S, Chuck glared the rest away and so as he slid in next to her in the booth it was just the two of them for several metres. Blair chose to ignore him as he stared at her, seething, and sipped from her drink as she scanned the club.

She waited until she had downed the last of her drink.

"Well, she's lovely." Blair said with a fake smile and looking at him through her lashes. "You should show her the city. The Met. The Statue of Liberty. The Empire State Building."

Her voice hardened ever so slightly at the end, but it felt like he'd been punched in the gut.

"Blair-"

"Don't." Blair said sharply and slid out of the booth.

Her head swung around, searching for a way out, she spotted an exit sign and headed for it. She shoved her way through the crowd, plowed through the door, and stumbled out into an alleyway behind the club. She had been desperate for fresh air, and she took in huge gulps of air... only to gag on the stench of garbage and damp scum that filled the space. Glancing around she spotted cars whizzing by at one end of the lane and started towards them.

She heard the door she'd just exited open and slam against the brick wall of the club, and she spun around.

"Go away!" She half shouted at Chuck as the door closed behind him and they were alone in the alley.

"I don't think so, Waldorf."

"Oh, I think so!" She mocked before she turned and started, well, he'd guess some would call it running, but given her sky high heels and adorable little steps, he could only say it was quick scuffling down the uneven concrete.

"You're literally... running away?" He asked incredulously.

"Yep!" She tossed over her shoulder. "Take a hint!"

He growled as he ignored her message and started after her. Not much of a runner himself he still managed to catchup to her before she was even close to the sidewalk. His hand slipped an arm around her middle, hefted her squirming body up and shoved her against the nearest wall as he pinned her there with his arms and body.

"EW! My hair is touching brick!" She shrilled, shoving at his shoulders.

"I can't believe you just made me run after you." He said as she struggled in this arms.

"Feel free to stop chasing me!" She snapped and kicked the pointed toe of her shoe directly into his shin.

He yelped and lurched forward but didn't let her go, if anything he now held her closer. They were both panting for breath after several moments of struggling and now stood together reluctantly. He couldn't help himself. She looked so beautiful. He tried to kiss her. She turned her head away.

"Don't." She whispered.

"Blair..." He breathed against her cheek. "Look at me..."

"No." She said and hated how close she was to tears was. "You've made a fool out of me..."

"No..." He whispered.

"You did." She told him harshly. "But I made a fool of myself too... because I let you. I won't do that again."

He shook his head, cold at the finality in her voice. "I'm sorry I wasn't waiting for you at the top of the Empire State Building. Bart came in and dragged us out. I couldn't call-"

"I don't care!"

"Don't you?"

She shook her head so fast that her hair whipped around them both. "I don't!"

His hands caught her face and held it for his kiss, and for a moment she surrendered to it and he felt passion and relief in her touch... until her knee slammed into his groin.

With a grunt he doubled over in pain. She took that moment to slip from his embrace and step back quickly.

"I don't care." She said again, stepping back a pace. "We were never anything but sex... so leave me alone... and go back to your girlfriend."

He couldn't right himself or answer her, all he could do was watch her run away.

TahDAH! This chapter was short because Game of Thrones is about to start... and I have my priorities...

Okay, so I know I shouldn't but I actually find it pretty hilarious that Blair's married to one guy, dating another, and in love with a third. I'm going to start this by saying that I am not a DBer, but seeing them together doesn't make me angry or disgusted. I think they'll be done by the end of 5x24. Have you seen the pictures of Dan and Georgina? I think it's going to look like he's helping G sabotage Blair, but I think it's going to turn out that it was just for show and it will end up that he's been trying to protect her. Why? Because I don't feel like the writers are going to want to fully close that door. Just a guess.


	19. Chapter 19

Hello! I'm about to over-share, but it is the reason you're getting a chapter today. I'm currently menstruating AND I moved funny... and am now having a wicked back spasm. Because of this both my front and back were KILLING me, so I couldn't go out like I planned this lovely Sunday afternoon. Instead, I jacked myself on pain killers, watched the Proposal and the Philadelphia Story, and am writing this. Blake Lively is a lucky, lucky woman. He makes me want to do naughty things to his body. Anyhoo, here I sit. Drugged yet relatively comfortable and about to write. Here we go...

Blair sat on the chaise in her living room, reading a magazine, as a woman worked on her pedicure. Hearing the elevator bing she glanced up as Serena waltzed in before turning her attention back to the page in front of her.

"B." Serena greeted her friend as she plunked down in a seat close to her.

"Serena."

"So... I didn't see you leave last night..."

"I was done for the night."

"I saw Chuck come home..."

"Well, since you live with him... I don't see how that would be breaking news."

"He came home limping."

"Hmm?" Blair said noncommittally as she flipped through the pages of her Vogue.

"Lily had ice brought to him."

"You don't say..."

"He could barely sit down at the breakfast table."

Blair merely snorted and then scowled at the woman at her feet who had looked up for the first time. She waved her away and out of the room.

"Bart suggested an STD panel."

"He could probably use one." Blair said offhand.

"Blair!" Serena huffed when she got tired of being railroaded. "What happened?"

Without any emotion in her voice Blair said. "My knee may have come into contact with his favourite body part."

"His jaw?" Blair looked at her with innocent doe eyes.

"B!"

"Fine! ... but he does have a fascination with his own jaw." Blair rolled her eyes. "Well, I assume it did render him... unavailable to his girlfriend."

"Blair, I left just after you and Chuck go home just after me. Alone."

"You should talk to him..."

"I think I'd rather get an STD panel. Now if you'll excuse me... I have to... Well, I just want to get away from you." She said coolly and got up and walked away.

Serena threw herself down on the chaise and only looked up when she heard soft, familiar footsteps enter the room.

"Dorota, she's driving me crazy."

"Welcome to my world." Dorota said before she could stop herself. She quickly looked around to make sure the girl who had eyes and ears every where hadn't caught her slip.

Serena saw it and smiled. "Don't worry, Dorota. Everyone knows you love Blair. And she must adore you or she would have had you deported after that time with her Dior."

"We do not speak of that. Ever."

"Sorry." Serena mumbled and dropped her head. "Blair and my step-brother are just driving me crazy."

"Hmmm. She and Mr. Chuck do seem to have that affect... on themselves and others." Dorota commented.

"Any ideas?"

"Maybe they just need to be in same room together... no running... no interruptions..."

"Dorota, I like the way you think."

"Thank you... but if Ms. Blair ever asks... we never spoke of this."

Serena would have laughed... but when she saw the killer intent in the maid's eyes she swallowed hard. Mental note, don't mess with Dorota.

Blair got to the roofed garden of the building Serena had texted her to meet her at and sighed with annoyance at finding herself the first to arrive. This was supposed to be a meeting of the Snow Flake Ball Committee and as President, she should not have been the first to arrive. Wandering around the corner, set amongst the bushes and flowers of the garden, she found a beautifully set table in the late afternoon light.

It was set for two but there were banked seating along the brick ledge so she figured the minions could sit there while she and Serena dined. Sighing she opened her purse to get out her phone and couldn't spot it. She was riffling through it when she heard the roof door open, giving up looking she turned with a smile to greet her best friend.

It fell from her face and was replaced by a scowl.

"Chuck."

"Blair." He said dryly, and she would swear she saw him flinch a little. As is his groin was remembering and unforgiving.

Realizing a set up when she was in the middle of one, Blair stood up and headed right for the now closed door, heels clicking hard as she shoved passed him to grab the door handle. Nothing.

"You idiot! It's locked!"

"I should think you're right... considering it won't open..." Chuck commented dryly as the headed for the table, lifted a the bottle of Dom from its ice filled bucket, inspected the year and popped the cork. He poured himself a glass and toasted her still indignantly standing form, before sprawling into a one of the chairs.

Given that stubborn could have been her middle name she stood there tapping a toe... until he lifted the lid that covered one of the plates and the delicious scent of stake wafted to her nose. Her mouth watered. She'd skipped lunch.

With a huff she tossed her hands in the air and flounced over to the table. They ate wordlessly. He poured them many drinks. They finished them all. When the meal and the Dom was done she stumbled over to the cushioned bank seating and sprawled across the better part of one side. Chuck came over and sat next to her. The sun was setting behind the buildings and cast fading light across their faces.

She wanted him to kiss her, she wanted to kiss him, and in that moment, as they sat so close and so alone at the top of this building, she couldn't think of a reason not to. So she did. Chuck didn't need a map. He kissed her back because it's all he wanted to do. Actually he wanted to do more than that, but as his hand started up her thigh and under her skirt, she pulled away, panting. "What are we doing?"

"It hasn't been that long..." He teased as he tried to pull her back to him and kiss her again.

Blair pulled away, the alcohol and all the emotions she had tied up with this boy suddenly making her feel like she was going to cry.

"Why didn't you tell me you had a girlfriend?"

"Why didn't you tell me you ran right back into your boyfriend's arms the second you landed in New York?"

"I didn't!"

"You did."

Her eyes shot wide and she accused. "You were there!"

"Let's just say I didn't need Gossip Girl to recap it..." He bit out, still not pleased with the image of her or himself.

"Then I guess we're even!"

"Even?"

Blair mimed him slobbering all over Georgina in the club the other night and then made a vomiting face before rolling her eyes in disgust at him.

"Fair enough." Chuck grimaced. "Well?"

"Well what?" She asked confused.

"Why?" He stressed.

"You first."

He sighed. "Fine. Force of habit I guess. Georgie... we've known each other forever... When we didn't have anyone else... we might as well have just had each other. It all just felt fam-"

"Familiar." She finished. Knowing what he meant. It was like how she had felt about Nate.

"Do you love her?" She had to ask.

"No." He replied truthfully. "Do you love him?"

"Please." She scoffed.

"Do you?" Chuck pressed, needing to hear the words.

Blair got serious as he did and so answered sincerely. "No. Not in a long time."

"Then who do you love?" The words had come out before he could stop them, and he seemed as surprised as she was.

She couldn't bring herself to answer yet, so instead she leaned in and kissed him. For long moments they got caught up in the passion and the taste of each other. He understood why she didn't answer. She was scared. So was he, but he needed to set something in stone before they went any further. He ripped his mouth away.

"Blair?"

"What?" She asked breathlessly as she dived in, aiming for his lips again.

He dodged her, but caught her face in his hands. "Blair?"

"Yes?" She grumbled, her lips slightly smushed.

"Will you be my girlfriend?"

She smiled between his palms. "Yes!"

Late that night, after a tentative Dorota had let them off the roof, Blair and Chuck lay in her bed. He was sleeping. She couldn't have shut her eyes if she wanted to. She kept staring down at him as she lay, propped beside him. She kept thinking about what he had asked, and while he couldn't hear her she knew the truth. With a gentle hand she reached out and stroked his jaw.

"I love you, Chuck Bass." She whispered before laying down next to him and resting her head on his shoulder.

Much to her surprise she got a gloating, sleepy response. "I knew it..."

"CHUCK!"

TahDAH! Okay, once again it's really short, but I have a busted (hehehe) ass. Get it? The story is called Busted and that's what my lower back/might as well be my ass, is right now! Sorry. Lot of pills. I literally can't decide what hurts right now. I can't tell if I'm having really bad cramps or moderate back pain. It's just a storm of suck below my waist and above my thighs. Oh, and I actually had to stop writing for a while. I had to take more pills and wait for the blissful numbness to kick it. If this chapter sucked blame the muscle relaxants... Oh and at one point I was cold but I knew how much it would hurt to move so I just sat here. Typing and shivering in a tank top. I could never survive the Hunger Games.

Have you seen the new Drake and Rihanna video? Frak, they are sexy together. If they aren't doing it they should be. Super hot. I needs to watch that again. And for some reason now I'm singing Summer Girl in my head. I think I'm pretty stoned right now...


	20. Chapter 20

Hello! I was assaulted walking to work the other day. I KNOW! I was walking along, probably bouncing down the sidewalk to Payphone, when something HIT me in the back of the head! Like someone had thrown a bag at my head ala Blair at Serena in season 2. I spun around! This is where it gets creepy. There was nothing there. I THINK I saw the bushes move... but I can't be sure! I started walking again... but kept spinning around to see if I was going to get taken out again by a mystery invisible assailant... who, yes, I know, was probably a bird. I'm going to imagine you're all concerned for my welfare and not laughing your asses off at me like my boss did. On to Busted! There's a surprise at the end of this chapter. Have you read that book with Grover from Sesame Street. He says's there's a monster at the end of this book, though. Spoiler alert. It's him. I know. I just blew your mind. Here we go...

Six months ago...

"I love you, Chuck Bass."

Now...

"I hate Chuck Bass!"

Serena lay on Blair's bed, flipping through a magazine, and she didn't even glance up at her irate friend. Blair was just as bad in ignoring her friend as she vented. She stared at her own reflection, trying on her prom dress and making sure the alterations had come out perfectly, while in her head cursing her most recent ex. It had been six months since she and Chuck started dating. And they'd only broken up and gotten back together roughly three times since then.

Once had been the incident of the clashing colour scheme on New Year's Eve. She still couldn't understand how he could have ever have worn silver and sea green, while she was in orange and gold? She'd pitched a fit demanding he change, but instead he just spun on a heel and walked out. She'd arrived at the party solo and proceeded to ignore his stubborn ass all night. He'd come around to apologizing quickly enough when she made to kiss another guy at midnight. The countdown was almost done and the Dalton class president's lips were slowly moving towards hers, when a hand caught her elbow and spun her around. Breathless she'd looked up into his stormy hazel eyes, and his lips had swooped down to claim hers as the clock struck the New Year. He'd pulled away for a mere heartbeat to look softly now down at her. It was his version of an apology. She'd thrown herself into his arms, kissing him as fireworks exploded outside the nearby windows. Neither of them noticed.

There had been a couple of other minor hiccups, but the worst had come when Blair had joined up with Bart and they'd gone behind Chuck's back to, not only apply for him, but get him accepted into Yale. Chuck had not taken it well. They'd been broken up for a tumultuous month before they got it together. It had only happened, because after two weeks of begging and pleading for his understanding and forgiveness, Blair had changed tactics for two reasons. One, she was pissed off at him for not seeing she'd done it all with his best interests at heart, and two, she knew her new idea would work. She started dating a rugby player.

Chuck had lost his mind. They'd been back together before Cameron had gotten to second. Neither had talked about Yale since.

Their current breakup? It had one source, and it was actually the source of all of their issues. Chuck Bass would not give up his I Love You cherry, and Blair Waldorf had drawn a line in the sand.

A few weeks ago...

They'd been laying in her bed, his weight still pressing her into the soft mattress, their breath still uneven as quiet filled the room. His hands came up to cup her jaw, gently tilting her face up to his, and even though her eyes had fluttered shut, she could feel his gaze burrowing into her. She knew what those eyes were asking, it's what they always asked in these quiet moments, and in the past she'd always told him readily. Part of the reason she'd say it so easily was that she meant it, and the other part was in the hopes that he'd say it back. He never did. So she'd vowed to not give him those words until they were mutually exchanged. He didn't seem to be taking that well.

He shifted on her, in her, and whispered her name against her lips. He might as well have been whispering, "Say it."

Shaking her head, she pulled her face from his grasp, craning away from him in a desperate attempt to catch her breath; to gain clarity. With his extreme closeness it just wasn't happening.

She shook her head slightly, then harder as he repeated her name. Her hands came up and pushed at his shoulders, he let her slide out from under him, but caught her in his arms before she could escape the bed. She sat on the edge, with him wrapped around her from behind. His arms were tight across her belly, her hands now resting on his, and his chin found her shoulder. For the moment neither pulled away.

"I can't do this anymore..." She whispered.

"What?" He whispered, but he knew.

"I can't..."

"I'm not askin-"

"Yes, you are." She shook her head sadly. "And it's not fair. You have to know it's not fair..."

"You know... I want to be with you."

"Yes..."

"I'm happy..."

"I'm not."

After that there wasn't much left to say, and when she stood up, out of his arms, he let her go.

They'd been apart ever since.

Today...

So now, here she was, getting ready to go to a prom she'd been waiting to go to since she was seven... and everything was perfect... except she didn't have a date. It's not that she couldn't have gotten one, it was only that she didn't want to play games. Before, when they'd broken up, she'd used other boys to get under his skin, knowing that it drove him crazy, and also knowing that eventually they would get back together anyway. She didn't feel that way now. She felt like it was over. So, if she wasn't going to prom with Chuck she didn't want to go with any other boy. She did however want to go with someone.

"So, are you my date?" Blair smirked in the mirror, having put her dark thoughts behind her to focus on her happier time.

Serena raised a brow with a smile, and sat up on her knees to look at her best friend. She placed her hand do her heart, and gasped, before addressing her friend in a Southern accent. "Oh, my! Blair Cornelia Waldorf... did you just ask me to prom?"

Blair rolled her eyes. "You broke up with the Brooklynite. I broke up with the Basshole. We're both single, and no one can match our social standing anyway."

"Well, when you put it that way..." Serena grumbled jokingly.

"And we'll have fun... and perhaps wreak a little mischief..."

"That's my girl." Serena smiled. "In that case, I would love to be your date."

"Why thank you." Blair quirked.

Serena's face moved to mock seriousness. "I don't put out."

"That's not what I heard."

"Blair!"

A few days later, dressed to the nines, Blair and Serena arrived at prom. There was a collective gasp as they walked in, because no one could touch them in both beauty and presence tonight.

They'd arrived fashionably late, and most of their class was already there. Both girls were asked repeatedly to dance and they danced with a rotation of classmates and friends for several hours. Nate was there, dating the only girl who would have him. Total outer borough. He knew better than to try to talk to Blair, but it didn't matter, because she couldn't have cared less. Her radar was only out for one boy. Blair couldn't help but notice... Chuck wasn't there. She shouldn't have been surprised, he'd only planned on going because she wanted to go, so the night was looking to be Bass free.

As the night wore on, Blair grew heated in the ballroom, and escaped out onto an empty balcony to catch her breath. She stood with her back to the shut french doors, and looked out over the city. She knew she shouldn't, she'd told herself not to, but her mind went to Chuck, wondering where he was tonight. Wondering if he was alone.

For a second her face fell, and her hands gripped the stone so tightly she nearly bled the skin. She knew what she'd known weeks ago. Without a doubt, she knew that she loved him, and her only reserve was that she wasn't sure how he felt about her. For a while, she'd told herself it didn't matter, but then the pain of being with him, of loving him, and never hearing the words back, had worn her down to the point where it hurt too much to stay. So she'd said goodbye... only to stand here, on one of the most iconic nights of her life, alone.

"You look beautiful..."

She spun around at the sound of his voice.

"Chuck!" She gasped. "What are you doing here?"

"It's prom..." He said by way of explanation.

"I'm surprised you're here, that's all..." She looked at him as he moved closer to her. "This isn't your thing."

She looked away from him, because he was too handsome and it was doing things to her concentration. She had to stay strong, stay focused. She turned back towards the darkened Manhattan skyline. Just minutes before the lights had seemed so bright, but even they paled in comparison to the energy coming off of Chuck. Blair bit her lip as she felt his arms come up on either side of her, and she looked down and his perfect hands as they rested on the stone next to her. She was boxed in by him, and yet he wasn't even touching her. His heat and radiance rolled across her back, her skin, her pores, and she wanted to turn and throw her arms around everything that was him, but she knew, that if he didn't love her, if he couldn't say it, than how she felt didn't matter... because she'd never be able to keep him with her. She knew she'd love him forever, and his eventual leaving would break her heart.

"Anywhere where you are, is where I want to be..." His whisper filtered through her dark hair to reach her ear. She shivered.

"Blair..."

He ruined her undergarments with the tone of want in his voice. Sucking in a deep breath, she let it out as she dodged under his arm and started back towards the swirling prom.

"Good night, Bass. Nice seeing you!" She tried to chirp with nonchalance. "Enjoy the prom!"

"Blair, I love you." He said softly, but his voice shook with the depth and power of what he felt for her.

She froze half way to safety, half way to everything that she wanted that scared her.

"I love you." He vowed again, sensing she needed to hear it repeated from his lips.

"Do you mean it?" She had to ask, desperate to believe him, but scared to think this might be a trick.

"I meant it." He said with earnest honesty. "With all my heart."

Blair finally turned around, and after a second, raised her eyes to his. She saw it all right there. He loved her, and she knew he always would. She flew into his arms, kissing him with all her love, and he kissed her back with the same.

Whether or not they were too young, and no matter what obstacles rose up before them, they knew it was the two of them together against it all. All in. Chuck and Blair forever.

The End.

TahDAH! Okay, so the surprise? This was the last chapter. Surprise! If you read my tweets... then not so much of a surprise. Just like there are a few of you who know I'd originally always planned on bumping off Harry in ITY. I was on the fence about whether or not this would be the last chapter, but two things played in. One, I have a lot of life stuff going on, and I don't know exactly where my head may be at soon. If it was going longer, I would have done a few chapters on Blair teaming up with Bart to get Chuck into Yale and meet his potential, and a couple more on Chuck's legit reaction to this manipulation. Two, I already have one GG fic that would seem to be heading on and on and on and on... so I thought 2 fics like that were a tad much.

Anyhoo, I hope I didn't disappoint you and cross my fingers that you all now don't think I suck. Now for my next bit... If you read my stuff you know this is coming. To everyone else, it won't annoy you because you're reading it for the first time. As a general rule, I don't ask for reviews. If you want to leave a review, I love and appreciate them, but if you don't want to leave one, I'm not going to hold it against you. It's a personal choice for you. Except for the last chapter of a multi-chaptered fic. At this point I'm just going to ask, if you want to, could you please leave a review letting me know what you thought of the last chapter and the piece as a whole? Thank you!


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